Lost & Found
by invisigoth3
Summary: A simple journey from Mirkwood to Rivendell starts out well enough, but it gets cut short when an enemy is determined not to let them leave the forest alive.
1. One Step Behind

**Lost & Found**

Summary; Does enough light still shine into the darkness of the Mirkwood forest to save Legolas and Estel or is all hope lost? A simple journey from Mirkwood to Rivendell starts out well but can it stay that way when a certain elf and ranger travel together?

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien. I get no money for any of this.

Rating: K+

Author note; I would like to thank Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure for their help in tracking down the rightful characters that I have barrowed and the owner. I would like to thank Nili for forgiving my mistakes and allowing me to use her characters. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or absolutely any expertise as an author so forgive any mistakes that I may have made.

And now on to the story!

Chapter 1

**One Step Behind**

Their departure from Mirkwood seemed to be an extremely happy event for most of the royal household they even appeared to be relieved for some reason. Neither Legolas nor Estel could ever quite escape the feeling that everybody looked forward to this time. They just could not understand the reason behind all the smiles they saw peeking out from under the usual sour expressions that the household had anytime that they were around. As they passed by many even waved happily as they said their goodbyes.

As they rode out passed the gate all goodbyes having been said they turned their horses towards Estel's home.

Estel took one more look back and broached the subject with his companion. "Legolas is it my imagination or are your people happy to be rid of you?" he asked a grin breaking out upon his face.

Legolas looked at him for second and then launched into his triad. "Me? My friend? Nay, I think that it was you that they are eager to see gone. I do not have these problems when you are not here." As he spoke his smile matched the one that decorated Estel's own features.

Estel face become puzzled as he absorbed his friend's reasoning his head tilted to the side as he thought.

"Problems, what problems would that be? Compared to a stay at my home I do not think that we have had any_ real_ problems" The Ranger pointed out.

Legolas laughed out loud the forest echoing with its musical sound. "Yes, I do believe that you are right. Maybe we should invite your brothers to return with us next time. Then when we visit on our own they will be relieved."

The sounds of their conversation drifted up to the guards that surrounded the Prince's home. Their faces paled at the thought of having to deal with the twin sons of Elrond in the palace with Legolas and Estel! It would be a very long visit next time. They looked at each other with dread Mirkwood would never survive. They knew that it was their duty to warn the household so that they may be prepared before the prince's return.

Both Estel's and Legolas' laughter increased as they distanced themselves from the guards above they had no intentions of bringing the twins with them on the next visit but the guards would not know that and the news of the twins impending visit would spread through the house of Mirkwood like wildfire filling them with fear over the possibilities therefore getting even with all the smiling faces that were so eager to see them leave.

The day drifted quietly away from the two as they talked enjoying each others company. Soon they were out of the inner circle of the Mirkwood realm. The safety of his father's kingdom left behind as they now traveled the areas of the forest that were no longer safe. The patrols did not frequent this outer area now concentrating only on the areas closer to home. The guards would be spread out too thin to cover the entire area.

The travelers spoke quieter here as the forest contained many creatures who were not friends of the elves that dwelled here. The evil had been growing here taking over the forest that the elves fought so hard to save.

Legolas felt the growth of this evil more then the rest of the elves and was affected by the loss of the trees and forest creatures that he loved. The king never refused his son's travels to Rivendell because it gave him a break from the ever encroaching darkness that grew like moss on a tree always there but never really seen until one looked closely to see its thick lush carpet smothering the bark.

Today was no different; the forest looked beautiful and inviting on the surface its multicolored hues of green seemed warm and comforting as they pass beneath their branches. To anyone else the forest would seem safe there was no obvious sign of the danger that was hidden underneath sucking the vibrant life from the forest and anything that made its home there. The forest leaned towards the strength that emanated from the single elf that now traveled its path.

Breathing deeply Legolas took in the smells of his forest loving the scent as it engulfed him.

"Are you done?" Estel inquired of the elf as he had stopped talking and was engrossed in his surroundings.

"The trees all love you and are sad to see you go! Can we travel a little faster now because I could walk this fast!" Estel teased.

Rejoining the conversation they talked of their plans. The main topic being the twins, as they were to be the object of the next prank that they had been working on. It was their turn to retaliate since the twins had struck before they left leaving them no opportunity to get even. Elrond had seen to that.

Estel went on about his ideas when he suddenly realized he was talking to himself again!

Stopping his horse he twisted around in his saddle to see what had captured the wood elf's attention this time.

"Legolas!" He spoke louder then usual. The rest of his words died on his lips as he saw the elf poised listening to more then just the forest around them, his word seemingly spoken very loud in the suddenly still forest.

The only response he received from the prince was the slow raising of his finger to his lips.

The prince sat unmoving upon his horse like an arrow pulled taunt ready for its release his whole body straining to hear through the silence. One minute he had been enjoying the beauty of the forest now it screamed to him to run trying to protect the wood elf from what it knew was coming.

A gentle breeze stirred the leaves blowing his hair into his face as he tried to hear what his eyes could not see.

Finally there is was a light sound of contact made between a tree branch and something heavy walking softly upon its limbs. Looking to the trees he saw nothing, but he knew it had to be there.

The trees trembled from its presence walking among its limbs stalking the elf upon the ground. They whispered their fears to the elf encouraging him to flee.

His voiced lowered just for Legolas' ears Estel questioned "What do you hear?"

His sharp eyes never leaving the trees he answered in a low steady tone. "We are surrounded"

Slowly moving into action Legolas dismounting his ride and instructed her to run. Estel followed suit never questioning his friend.

"Our options?" he asked pulling his sword slowly from its scabbard his eyes scanning the trees trying to see what Legolas saw. He need not ask what they faced for he already knew.

"Fight, we will never make it if we run. It is too late" Legolas aimed his bow into the trees above them searching through the limbs waiting for one to make a mistake and show itself. His thoughts criticized his lack of attention as he wondering just how long they had been followed. How had he not noticed such a disturbance behind them?

But this group was better then most and no mistake was made. As they got closer Legolas could feel their oppressive evil enveloping him like a thick fog on a misty evening it was enough to steal his breath away.

Appearing from the top of a giant oak that stood directly in front of the elf a large black spider slowly made its way down from the tree top it was one of the largest spiders he had ever seen its massive bulk making it difficult to maneuver down the trunk.

It was bold and deliberately made itself known to the elf drawing the prince's attention it kept its many eyes upon him as if enjoying the drama of the moment.

Legolas followed its path with his arrow as it descended slowly towards them eager to end its life in one shot.

It froze half way down the tree with one click of its jaws the rest of the group appeared and the trees were filled with eyes and legs from many beings. With an almost human like smirk on its face the spider watched for the elf's reaction to his impressive army as if daring the immortal to strike.

Legolas could not stop the quick intake of breath at the shear number of spiders that now surrounded them. Next to him he heard Estel's muttered under his breath shocked at the adversaries they now faced. They practically blocked out the light from sun filtering through the forest as their large dark bodies filled the trees making the day appear to wane. He could feel the tree's fear at their touch upon its bark. The forest had grown silent even the breeze had stopped it's gently stirrings as if it too was holding its breath.

Legolas noted the spark of intelligence in the depth of its soulless black eyes that he had never seen in a Mirkwood Spider before. Legolas almost thought the spider was pleased with himself if that was possible. What did not escape the wood elf's attention was the fact that it focused solely on him making no effort to hide its desire from the elf. Legolas fought the feeling of uneasiness that grew within him as the spider seemed to smile with anticipation.

Breaking the stale mate the spider spoke its voice dripping with malevolence its sound shocking both the human and the elf. "Mirkwood prince, we have been waiting for you"


	2. Captured

Ok, I hope to have fixed more of the mistakes as per the advice from my reviewers-thanks for all the help guys!

Disclaimer; Again, I claim nothing of Tolkiens, including his writing ability. Of course, there is no money being made here!

Rating; K+

Chapter 2-Captured

"Mirkwood prince, we have been waiting for you," the words scorched his mind; this was not just bad luck! They had fallen into a trap. He glanced over to see Legolas' reaction, subconsciously he inching closer to the elf as if he could offer him some protection from the nightmare that they now faced.

The spider's attention was focused exclusively upon the prince. His eyes never shifted to the human it was as if he wasn't even there. Like a child with a piece of candy, the spider could see nothing else.

Estel's entire world narrowed to the confrontation that was unfolding in front of him, his mind trying to tell him that they could still escape.

Legolas pulled the string back tighter on his bow, his knuckles turning white from the tension. "My arrow has been waiting for you," he replied his voice as ominous as the spider's.

The spider appeared to enjoy the banter unfazed by the elf's threat. "That may be, _my prince _but my army will kill you and _your human,_ before you ever make it out of _my_ woods," he boasted.

"But you obviously need me alive otherwise you would have killed us already" Legolas countered. Keeping his arrow poised on the huge creature.

"True." The spider answered. "But I can still kill you. I can get more elves, many more, but you are the king's brat you are worth more then the others! So, make up your mind, your highness. My soldiers wait."

His eyes scanning over the figures in the trees, Legolas knew his words were true, they would never escape this many of them; not on foot or horseback. He leaned over slightly to Estel his eyes returning to guard the spider.

With a sigh of acceptance, he whispered, "He speaks the truth."

"I know, my friend, I know" Estel acknowledged. He took a second and looked up into the forest limbs seeing the numerous glowing eyes that stared back at him. It sent shivers down his spine. _How could spiders be this big_? He thought.

The spider watched as his two victims discussed their options. His plan was working out better then he had anticipated. The elf prince himself had walked into his trap. He was determined to bring the king to his knees and take over the lands of the elves. He no longer wished to live in the shadow of the almighty elves it was his time to rule.

The spider moved his large, gleaming, body farther down the tree until his feet met with the warm, soft earth. He stopped a few feet from the elf. His size more impressive the closer he came.

His grating voice spoke again to the elf offering a bargain. "I do not need both of you for my plans. I only need you, my dear prince, the human I have no need of; his death will suit me fine." Clicking a command to some of the nearby spiders, they responded quickly closing in on the human.

Moving to protect his friend, Legolas put himself between him and the approaching horde. "No! Stay back!" He ordered.

Fear for his friend's life fueled him into action and without even consulting Estel; Legolas put his own bargain on the table, the words tumbling out of his mouth with no forethought.

"Let the human go and I will stay with you… willingly" The thought of Estel dying was worse then anything the spiders could ever do to him.

Glaring at the prince, Estel pulled urgently at Legolas' sleeve, "No, I will not leave you here!"

Before Legolas could answer, the spider broke in, taking the choice away from them. "No, he does not leave here, but I will allow him to live, if you cooperate and come with us. If not, I can easily kill you both and wait for another elf to come along.

Legolas would never allow another elf to take his place or risk Estel's life in an attempt to escape, so his choices were few; fight and risk death, or give up, and wait for a chance to escape. He knew that if they chose to fight the spiders would surely kill Estel in the process. The only way to keep him alive was to take the bargain offered to him.

His voice filled with resignation, Legolas admitted "There is no choice, Estel" lowering his bow to the ground. Immediately, the clicking of the spiders increased; their excitement evident as the forest was filled with their sickening sound. Legolas fought the impulse to cover his sensitive ears at the resonance.

Estel put his sword away in agreement with his friend. "We will figure a way out"

A sudden thought crossed Legolas' mind and he raised his bow again towards the spider before it had even made a single move towards them.

"Promise not to bite the human! Use no poison on him. I will only cooperate with your plans if you do not harm him." He kept his bow trained again on the spider as he waited for an answer.

Eagerly, the spider asked. "You will cooperate in my plans?" His eyes gleamed in anticipation as the final bargain was struck.

"Yes, if he is unharmed" he answered, stronger then he felt. He hated spiders, but did not fear them normally, but this one was causing his resolve to waver. _What had he just agreed to?_

Estel voiced his concern. "Legolas don't, we can figure a way out" he pleaded, afraid to bargain with the creature who seemed very excited to get his hands upon the prince.

Legolas turned to his friend. "There is no other way," in Sindarin he added "You will be able to escape if you are unharmed. If we are both poisoned we will never make it out of here"

The spider hissed at the elf's words "No, elf talk here!"

"Do you agree?" Legolas demanded of the spider again. His arrow still trained dead on the eyes of the evil creature in front of him.

Rubbing his forefeet together in delight, he answered. "Yes, of course, I can keep the human alive and unharmed" In a more threatening tone he continued "But, I can not say the same for you, prince. Do you agree?"

Before, Estel could protest Legolas repeated the spider's words "I agree." He was glad to have at least kept Estel from harm. He slowly lowered his bow and returned it to his back along with the arrow.

Putting all his trust in his friend, he lowered his head and whispered quietly to Estel. "Escape when you can and come back for me"

Knowing this was the only way, Estel agreed, but it would be his last resort; he would not leave his friend to what ever these spiders had in mind. Against his better judgment, he too put his weapon away and waited for the spider's next move.

The large spider clicked orders to his army. Their reaction was immediate as the ground was covered with spiders in a matter of seconds eager to do his bidding.

Legolas looked back up to find the huge spider standing right in front of him. He had not been that close a second ago, its size was unnerving, even for a woodelf. He tried not to show any fear, but his heart raced at its closeness. It was after all a very large spider, large enough to strike fear in anybody who would find themselves standing this close to it. He found it difficult not to reach for his knifes. He clenched his hands in attempt to stop any automatic fight response.

The spider said nothing, but moved even closer violating the elf's space. Taken back by its proximity, Legolas involuntarily backed up trying to put some distance between himself and the creature, but at the same time separating himself from Estel. He did not like the way the spider advance upon him. He did not go far when he felt the trunk of a tree against his back halting his retreat.

The tree felt his fear; it was saddened by the scene that played out below. The forest did not want to see any harm come to the elf, but at the same time, it could do nothing to save him.

The huge spider silently mirrored his steps; he was not concerned that his captive might get away. The forest was filled with his soldiers there was no way out for the elf, he could feel the thrill of success flowing through his body.

Finding his prey trapped, he closed the distance between them. He placed his long legs on the tree surrounding the elf's slim frame. The spider rose up on his back legs towering over the prisoner. He noted the sharp intake of breath that escaped from the elf's control.

Legolas looked away from the spider searching out Estel. The man was surrounded by spiders; none touched him, but they kept him from moving in any direction. It gave Legolas some measure of relief to see him unhurt.

Estel realizing that he could not force his way through the spiders that deliberately blocked his path he turned his attention to where Legolas and the spider now stood.

Clicking its massive jaws together, it used one of its claw laced feet to force Legolas head back around to look directly at him. The elf's piercing blue eyes stared back at him anger burning within their depths. Unaffected by the elf's attempt to appear strong, the spider looked closely at his face.

Forced to look upon the creature, Legolas found the spider mere inches from his face, its expression unreadable as it gazed intently upon his face. Legolas found his features just as repulsive up close as far away.

"We could not have done any better. The king will do anything to get you back. Lucky for us that you look so much like him it makes things so much easier."

Trying to keep his fear in check, Legolas let his tongue speak before he thought.

"Glad, I could help you out. However, you might not be that happy when my father does not give in to your demands. He will just kill you. You will never defeat my father and rule _his_ forest," Legolas, threatened staring back at the spider defiantly.

Hearing Legolas taunt the spider, Estel tried to caution him. "Don't Legolas, please keep quiet."

The spider hissed into the elf's ear. "Be brave while you can elf." Never taking his eyes off the elf, the spider directed his army. "Bind the human, but do not poison him." He tipped his head to elf as he spoke recognizing the bargain that they had been made.

His eyes flashed in anticipation as he continued speaking their dark orbs shinning like polished stone. Addressing his army again, he said. "Only I may poison the elf. If anyone else touches him they will die by my hand." As he finished, a wisp of fear flicker in the blue eyes that stared boldly back at him, just the kind of reaction he desired from the filthy elf.

The army clicked in response, passing his words among themselves from the close ones all the way back to the ones still watching from the trees. They knew better then to disobey their leader.

Focusing back on the task, the spider moved his legs from the tree trunk to the elf's body pinning him to the tree. He saw the panic sweep through the elf as he realized what the spider was doing, but it was already too late, the spider was stronger then the elf and he easily sunk his claws into his flesh.

The elf held his tongue and let no sound escape his lips. He was securely pinned to the tree his arms and legs were pierced by the sharp claws making any movement impossible. His outward calm was crumbling; he knew what was coming. Spiders had bitten him many times before, but at those times, he never saw it coming. Here he not only knew, but he had to wait for it to happen. Having to sit still and wait for the strike caused his normally strong resolve to flee.

Estel did not fight being wrapped up in the spider's silk, he refused to make matters worse for Legolas. He strained to watch his friend from his new place on the forest floor. He struggled to see between the dozens of legs that blocked his view.

The spider purposely drew out the process; he enjoyed torturing the son of his enemy. He hesitated as if unsure of where to bite his victim, finally he seemed to make a suitable choice as to where to bite the prince, his fangs lingering just inches above his target.

His sharp eyes noted the increase in heart rate that pulsed through the vein in the elf's neck, but the creature barely breathed its chest almost still. He knew it held its breath, waiting for him to strike.

The spider gloated over his prize. "Do not fear little prince, I know how delicate your bodies are to this and I will give you a little can't have you dying on me now."

To proud to resist, Legolas could do nothing do save himself. He had made a bargain and he was not about to break it not when Estel's life depended upon it. Being this close to a spider and his fangs was not something that Legolas ever wanted to repeat. The fangs hovered over his tunic just above his shoulder. Determined to keep quiet, Legolas bit his lip trying to keep control during the agonizing wait not willing to give the spider what he wanted.

The spider lowered his fangs to touch his shoulder setting off a chain reaction in the prince as he lost control over his breathing. His chest no longer still as the panic took over increasing his heart rate and breathing as he waited. He looked up to see the spider watching him, in the reflection from it's multi black orbs he could see his own pale image staring back at him.

As if waiting for that moment to strike, the spider slowly expanded his fangs and sunk them into the soft flesh of the elf. Turning away from the spider, Legolas squeezed his eyes tightly shut and he bit down harder on his lip fighting any instinct to cry out.

The spider's joy was short lived. The elf did not cry out as he had hoped. Watching the elf, he clicked in anger as the defiant eyes opened up and stared back at him again. Angered, the spider pushed his claws deeper into the elf's body causing them to burrow deeper into his flesh. He did not stop until he encountered the resistant bone underneath, only then did the elf cried out in pain.

Watching the figure beneath him, the creature hissed. "Not so brave now? Huh, little elf?"

The spider jerked his claws out of the elf's flesh forcing another cry from him. Blood bubbled up from the holes left in their wake.

Legolas remained against the tree using it for support; his eyes closed tightly against the pain. He knew the spider was still in front of him waiting for him to collapse.

He forced his eyes open to look for Estel. He soon spotting him lying upon the ground wrapped in a white cocoon. Escape, he knew was nearly impossible now. He closed his eyes unable to keep them open any longer.

It only took a few minutes for the poison to take effect, sending Legolas sinking to his knees on the ground at the base of the tree, his body no longer able to do his biding. His head was spinning from the poison, he quickly found himself on all fours trying to keep from collapsing. Nevertheless, his strength was fleeting and he soon fell into the cool inviting grass unable to resist its call.

The spider slowly made his way over to the form lying on the green grass, he was in no hurry, the elf was not going anywhere. He stepped over his prize, lifting the unresisting body, and began the process of wrapping his prize in an inescapable silk prison.

Estel could not believe that this was happening; he watched as the spider wrap Legolas tightly in his webbing causing him to cry out in pain. The white cocoon colored with the glistening red blood that seeped through from the wounds buried underneath.

Satisfied the spider finished with him and dropped his body to the ground before walking away, he glared at the human on the ground.

"Time to go human"

Estel felt his body lifted in the air as a spider latched onto his cocoon and proceeded to follow their leader off the path and into the waiting woods. Twisting his head around, he found Legolas being carried by the spider next to him. The prince was still conscious, but his eyes were closed. This would make escaping much more difficult then before. He had no desire to leave Legolas. Realizing that there was nothing he could do for now, but go along for the ride, he decided to try to come up with an escape plan.

Hours later, they still traveled deep into the forests of Mirkwood, Estel did not know where they were being taken. He had never been to this part of the forest; they did not wander off the main paths often. Even if he succeeded in escaping from the spiders, he did not know which direction to go. The thought made him feel hopeless. Without Legolas awake they would not be able to escape, even if it was possible to get away form this many spiders.

The spiders traveled quickly through the forest nothing stood in their way. Estel had tried to watch where they traveled, but his view from beneath the spider's body was only good for watching the ground as it passed before his eyes. It was a strain on his neck just to try to twist around to check on Legolas as they moved.

His thoughts were interrupted as the world suddenly went dark, it was as if a huge shadow had covered the sun; he panicked for a minute, until he realized that, they were entering a very dark part of the forest. The trees here were no longer green and healthy, but instead were blackened and intertwined as if they had burned and then tied together.

The trees created a shield from the sun giving the evil creatures within respite from the harsh glare of its penetrating rays. The emancipated limbs twisted among each other their leaves brown and dying; the ground below was covered with the bodies of the ones that had already met their death.

Straining to take in his surroundings, Estel noted the silence that assaulted his ears it was as if he had entered a room and shut the door cutting off all ties to the world behind them, leaving them to the mercy of the spiders.


	3. The Begining

**Lost & Found**

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien. I get no money for any of this.

Rating: K+

Author note; I have to give many thanks to kamariaelf, who has taken on the overwhelming job of beta for me!! Her advice and assistance has been very helpful. I also have to apologize for the long wait. I am part of my college SIFE team; we just won the regional competition in March. Now, we are going on to the national competition in Dallas. The competition I sin May so I will be busy until after that. Now, on to the story

The Beginning

Dumping the two prisoners on the ground at the base of a massive tree, the army of spiders quickly disappeared into the gnarled branches above.

Evidently, any concern for their escape was miniscule, as no guard was left to hover over them. As his body hit the ground, Legolas' moans broke the eerie silence that filled the air.

Turning over, Estel tried to maneuver himself closer. Rolling back and forth, he managed to close the gap between them. But, unable to stop his momentum, he quickly found himself face to face with his friend, his body colliding with the elf's. Running his trained eyes over the bound body of the prince, he was satisfied to note that the blood appeared to have stopped flowing. At least that was one good thing. Even an elf could not fight blood loss and poison at the same time without some assistance. His eyes came back to focus on the paler than usually face before him.

Consciousness returning, the prince furrowed his brows together in pain. Another groan escaped his throat as he became more aware of his state of being.

"Legolas, can you hear me?" Estel whispered, trying to get any response from the injured elf.

He waited for some sign of understanding from Legolas. His heartbeat quickened slightly as his fears got the best of him during the wait. _What if the spider had used too much poison_?

Realizing that he would receive no answer just yet, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the elf's, distressed at the inability to do anything for him. He drew some comfort from the contact, relieved that he was at least able to be near him while he waited for Legolas to return to the world.

The prince's forehead felt warm, but not hot. Estel did not know the symptoms that came with being poisoned by one of the giant spiders, so he did not know what to look for or how to treat it. He needed Legolas awake to tell him.

Closing his eyes for a second, he realized that Legolas would have hit him in the head for that one. _How could I treat him all wrapped up this way?_ The image brought a smile to his weary face.

It was frustrating to watch Legolas in pain and be unable to do anything to comfort him or ease his pain. He looked back down over his own bindings, hoping to see something he had missed the other hundred times he had looked, but no, there was no way out of his own prison.

Aggravated, Estel laid his head back down on the dirt. _What I would give for a good old-fashioned dungeon right now… At least then, I would be able to move. _His thoughts were getting him nowhere. Turning his attention back to the prince, he renewed his quest to wake him.

"Legolas, can you hear me?" He gently pleaded; a soft moan was the only response. Encouraged by the sound, Estel lifted his head to look at him more closely.

"Legolas, come on, you can do it. Wake up." He nudged him with his head, careful not to jar him too much.

"Estel?" Moaned the prince.

Relief flooded his mind at the wonderful sound of his own name. "Yes, I am here. Are you alright?"

Not answering the question, Legolas instead asked one. "Where are we?" His voice weak and unsteady.

"I do not know, but we are very deep in the forest. I hope that you recognize this place so that we can come back and take care of all these… these things." He could not resist a shudder at the presences of so many of the creatures.

A faint smile came to the prince's pale face. Licking his dry lips, he corrected his friend, "Spiders, Estel, they are called spiders."

"Nothing that big should _ever _be called a spider, my friend." Estel said, deadpan.

If he had had the strength to move, Legolas would have shook his head at Estel's child like comment.

"Have you had any opportunity to escape?" Legolas questioned, trying to get his bearings on what had happened during his absence.

Estel gave his best 'are you serious look'. He stared at the prince. "Legolas, have you

looked at me?" He asked incredulously. "I can't even scratch my nose let alone escape."

Legolas opened his eyes slightly, taking in Estel appearance. _Oh yes, I remember seeing that now _he thought. His brain still fuzzy courtesy of the lingering poison.

"I see. Any ideas then?" he asked, closing his eyes in an effort to stop the spinning that seemed to have started the second he opened them. He was not surprised to feel the added rumblings of nausea building within his belly. He clenched his jaw, trying to fight the rising sensations.

"Why, yes, now that you ask. I do have a plan."

Legolas took a deep breath, well, as best as he could within the tight confines of the webbing. "And…?" he forced out.

Estel proceeded to explain. "You pretend to be sicker then you are, and the evil Lord Spider will be afraid that you will die. Then, he will cut me loose to treat you. It has worked before."

He smiled as he added the last part, knowing how much Legolas hated playing the sick one. His smile faded quickly, he saw that Legolas still struggled to follow the conversation.

In a more serious tone, he added, "In this case, you will not have to pretend. Will you mellon nin?" he asked, trying to force the truth from the elf. His voiced edged with concern over his friend's health.

"I am fine," Legolas responded, trying to shake off the persistent fog that swirled in his mind. "It is just a little spider bite," he commented, keeping his eyes closed. "It is nothing."

"Yes, I see. Well, it sounded just like a very little scream when he attacked you." He answered with sarcasm, not intending to bruise his friend's pride. However, he knew that Legolas was not well and would not admit it unless he pushed him.

Legolas did not answer Estel's last comment, not wanting to remember the fact that he had cried out in pain.

Knowing that Legolas was feeling ashamed, Estel apologized, "I am sorry Legolas, but I know you do not feel well. If I am going to try and escape I need to know if you can travel on your own or if I will be carrying you."

"I know," Legolas responded quietly.

"Do you think you can walk?" Estel asked, not letting the subject drop.

Legolas hesitated, not used to admitting any weakness, even to Estel.

"I do not think I will be able to walk just yet. The affects should wear off soon," He admitted quietly.

He neglected to mention the rest of the symptoms, like nausea, fever and weakness that would be joining him shortly. It was hard enough to admit needing help walking. Telling Estel about the rest was more then he could handle at one time. Estel would have his hide later.

"Good, I need to …." Estel's sentence abruptly stopped. In his line of sight, he saw the now familiar large black legs just behind Legolas, getting closer and closer.

"Legolas" he quietly tried to warn, but the elf did not hear him.

His back was to the spider and his eyes still closed against the nausea, Legolas did not hear Estel's attempt to warn him. Too tired to focus on his surroundings, he did not hear approach of the creature either.

"You will have to..." Then he heard the clicking, but it was too late. The spider knew that he was awake.

Angered at the prospect of the elf being awake already, the spider used its foot to roll Legolas over, so he could see for himself that the elf was already recovering from the poison.

His eyes bolting open, Legolas found himself face to face with the spider again. He had a hard time covering up the disgust that he felt at its closeness. His breath quickened of its own accord as he found himself looking up into the face of the disgusting creature.

"I see we are awake and planning what? May I ask?" he questioned suspiciously. His head turned at an angle, waiting for an answer, its black eyes seeming to bore a hole into the elf's body.

Without the strength to answer, Legolas closed his eyes, not wanting to confront the spider again so soon. However, doing so was not enough to shelter him from the being's presence.

Estel spoke up quickly, trying to draw the spider's attention off of the elf. "I was just checking to see if he was alright from your poison. He is not recovery well." He hoped that Legolas would pick up on his cue and act sicker then he was. Maybe the spider would take the bait.

"If he is awake, then he is well, human. Did I not give you enough poison, My Prince? My mistake." He answered without taking his eyes from the elf.

The spider gave Legolas no time to act upon Estel's lead. He jabbed his fangs into the elf's thigh, cutting through the webbing that held him. He did not trust the elf; he knew that they were crafty and strong. He wanted to make sure this one would not be walking away anytime soon. He allowed more poison to flow into the elf's body.

Legolas was too shocked to prevent himself from crying out pain. He felt the spider's razor sharp fangs digging deeper into his muscles, tearing as they injected the poison into his already exhausted body. His leg felt hot as the poison flowed into his bloodstream, burning a path through his body.

"Stop!" Estel shouted at the spider, all caution lost as he watched the spider poison Legolas again.

"We cannot get away tied up as we are. It is unnecessary to poison him again."

The spider removed his fangs from Legolas' leg, causing the elf to moan in pain. He looked to the human who dared to speak.

"Do not think that you can tell me what to do HUMAN? I promised to leave you unharmed, not him. I need him alive, but just barely." He said, his fangs still wet with Legolas' blood, giving him a grotesque look, one that Estel knew would be seared into his mind for some time to come.

Not willing to give up, Estel continued. "You will make him sick. He can die if his wounds become infected. He will be too weak to fight the poison, and then you will have NO elf! Cut me loose, so that I can make sure he will live!" Estel demanded. "I promise, I will not try and leave," he added, his desperation getting the best of him.

Stepping over the elf, the spider moved in and hovered over Estel before the ranger could even blink. The spider lowered his impressive body just above the glaring human, so that he could get a close up look at him. The sharp fangs glistening with the fresh blood rested inches from Estel's face.

"Oh yes, human. You would not try and leave WITHOUT him, you mean."

A look of contempt and hatred was flashed at the human as he spoke. "The elf is fine. Do not worry yourself, human. They are crafty creatures and cannot be trusted to obey. Therefore, he will remain as he is and under my control. If YOU want to remain alive you will not tempt me again!"

Without another word, the spider turned and left the way he had come. Frustrated, Estel dropped his head back to the forest floor, welcoming the sudden flash of pain as his head made contact with the hard surface.

Angry with himself for not watching for the spider's approach, he turned to see if Legolas was still with him.

"Legolas? I am sorry. Legolas?" His voice strained to remain quiet. He was still lying next to the elf, but he might as well have been miles away, because Legolas no longer heard him.

The second dose of poison flowed swiftly through his weakened body. He had no strength left to fight off the effects. Legolas was forced back into the world where he could not move or talk; only suffer from the pain of his wounds and the affects of the poison. He sank rapidly into unconsciousness, powerless to fight the blackness that pulled at him from all sides.

They had been in many dangerous situations before, but this was one of the first times that Estel really felt that they had little hope of escape. Watching the poison steal his friend from him again left him uncertain of his ability to save him from the spider's plans.

Estel looked up into the approaching night sky. The ranger knew he had to at least try and escape, even if it meant leaving Legolas here. Looking down again at his own bindings, Estel felt discouraged. _How am I ever going to get away? _Even wriggling his fingers was impossible in this cocoon.

Taking a deep breath, he chastised himself for giving up hope when he knew the prince would not. He refocused his energy on the forest around him looking closely for any nearby sharp object in which he could use to cut through the webbing.

Startled from his search by an angered screech that filled the air, Estel turned in the direction of the sound. He watched as the Lord Spider shrieked a command to his soldiers.

The spider's slowly turned his attention back to rest upon the human, his black eyes glared at the human.

Estel realized that the spider had still been watching him from the dark, and had seen his appraisal of the surroundings. It was not hard for the creature to figure out what he had been doing. Estel did not have to wait long to discover what had been said.

Hastily the orders were followed, and a lone spider appeared in the air above them from the tree that loomed overhead. Without a sound, it latched onto Legolas' cocoon and crawled back up its webbing dragging Legolas with it. Stopping about halfway up the tree, it then left him suspended by a web to the branch above. Then it scurried back down another line to do the same to the waiting human.

Estel could not believe their bad luck. Now, he was suspended from a web high above the ground, cutting off any possible methods of escape. At least before, he could have rolled away if that was at all possible.

He looked down to see the arrogant glowing eyes of the Leader still fixed on him. It was as if he knew just what he was thinking. As if daring him to try and escape him. Estel glared back at the spider. If he could kill just one spider before he died, that one would be it.

The spider gloated over his success. He shifted his attention from the human to the elf, lingering over the unconscious form. The recent interaction with the elf made it difficult not to cut him down and release some of his pent up anger upon the king's son. He was torn between instant gratifications and adhering to his master plan.

The spider lord looked forward to killing the brat it had been difficult to stop himself from continuing his earlier attack. The human, he had no need to keep alive anymore. The deal with the prince was unnecessary now. The spider retreated to his lair. Pleased with his conquest, he went in for the night.

Estel watched the spider lord as he stared at the prince. Estel had no problem interpreting the leader's desires. He realized that they were probably safer up here than down there.

Their bodies now suspended high above the ground, Estel could not see how Legolas was fairing anymore. His head was hanging down, with his chin resting upon his chest, his long hair covering up any view of his face. Estel knew that the spider had given Legolas enough poison to keep him out for a few more hours, which meant no chance for escape tonight.

He felt useless unable to aid his friend or free them from this mess.

This was turning out to be what nightmares were made from, and there did not appear to be any way to escape. He feared they might have to wait until the spider's plot was played out. Certainly, the spiders were going to hold Legolas for blackmail forcing his father into handing the kingdom over to them.

As he thought, the day's events caught up to him and Estel's eyes drifted closed. He would need his strength for whatever tomorrow held, so he did not fight the sleep that whispered softly to him, pulling him into its warm embrace.

Hours into the night, Estel was pulled from his rest. He did not know what had woken him as he looked around. In the dark, his eyes struggled to see beyond his face.

Taking a minute to get his bearings, he recognized that it was a feeling that had roused him from his much-needed rest. The feeling you get when you are the center of someone's attention, the kind of attention that you do not want.

Slowly, he raised his head up not wanting to appear awake as he searched the dark. Estel had no trouble locating the source of his unease, because there, in a nearby tree, were two glowing eyes staring his way. His mind relaxed, realizing that a guard probably had been placed to watch them as the day approached. It was still too dark to really see anything more then its eyes, so Estel tried to return to sleep.

Nevertheless, sleep would not take him again. He could not shake the remaining feeling that kept the hairs raised on the back of his neck. With as little movement as possible, he again took in his surroundings. He had the feeling that something was amiss, but could not figure out what it was. Suddenly, he realized what it was. The pair of eyes that had been watching them from afar was gone! A bad feeling grew in the pit of his stomach.

_Where would the guard have gone and why? _He questioned himself.

He quickly glanced around, searching for the missing watcher. Estel's breath caught in his throat when he found a pair of glowing eyes floating in the air above the prince.

He was confused, as the shape appeared to be in midair above their heads and moving closer. His mind swiftly put the clues together. A spider was spinning down from the branch that held them and he was moving towards Legolas. He got the distinct feeling that another spider was trying to make off with the elf as a prize for himself. Fear seized him as he realized he could do nothing to stop the spider from taking the prince.

The spider stopped itself directly next the elf and did not move. It seemed frozen in place or thought, not even noticing the human on the other side of the elf. The spider appeared to be looking closely at the elf, savory its nearness. Suddenly, it reached out its leg and snagged the elf's cocoon, pulling him into its awaiting grasp. Its many appendages curled around the unconscious elf in a crushing embrace as it tried to steal him right before Estel's disbelieving eyes. He knew at this moment, he was going to fail the prince. His heart constricted at the thought causing him to cry out. "Nooo"

TBC


	4. The Eyes of Another

  
Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien. I get no money for any of this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or absolutely any expertise as an author so forgive any mistakes that I may have made. 

Rating: K+ 

Author note; I am sorry this has taking so long. I had hoped to have it posted sooner, but thanks to my amazing Beta Kalisona, a major mistake was found and corrected. I was nervous after that and slowly went over the chapter again. I want to thank Kalisona for her help. The world of fan fic would be in sorry shape without the time put in by our Betas. 

Chapter 4**- **The Eyes of Another   
Startled at the sound coming from the other prisoner, the spider let go of the elf's body and quickly retreated back up the web, its hasty actions caused Legolas' cocoon to bump into Estel's with a thud. Their bodies twisted and bumped again making Estel dizzy, he was glad that Legolas was still unconscious. 

Finally, their bodies stopped moving, Estel slowly opened his eyes that he had closed during the spinning. Relieved not to see the spider above them, he chided himself for falling asleep and for underestimating the danger that Legolas was in. He thanked Valar for waking him up in time. 

Estel settled down, determined not to take his eyes off of the elf. Only a few minutes had gone by when he was startled from his watch. He felt the smallest of vibrations travel along the web that suspended him. Glancing up, he saw the same dark shape that had stalked Legolas was now over the top of his web. He the felt movement again, only this time he moved, or more precisely, he dropped. 

Before he could figure out a course of action, he was being lowered to the ground. Legolas was no longer by his side. The ground came up quickly causing his stomach to leap into his throat. Again, he closed his eyes tightly waiting for the sudden stop. He hit the ground hard. Groaning at the impact, he felt his body protest the impact. As the pain cleared and he figured out that nothing appeared to be broken, his pain was replaced by panic as he realized that the spider had successfully separated him from Legolas, leaving the elf unprotected. 

Panicked, he struggled to maneuver around so that he could see what was going on. His imagination was quickly taking over as he envisioned the spider sinking its fangs into his friend's body dealing a lethal dose of poison and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. 

Estel was finally able to roll over onto his back so that he could look up into the tree. He strained to see the white shape of his friend. His fears were confirmed when he saw the hideous black shape hovering over the elf. He opened his mouth to shout another warning, but he never had the chance as Legolas' body hit the ground next to him. Temporary relief washed over him at least they were together again. 

The impact returned the elf to the conscious world, and a soft groan announced his arrival. Pain was registering from all areas of his body, but his mind could not figure out the casue. 

Looking around for more shapes to come into view, Estel was surprised to find only one dark form descend from the trees. The same spider was still trying to make off with not just the elf, but him too. 

Dread filled his thoughts as he watched the creature approach. Estel's mind raced as he tried to think of the best course of action; call for help and wake up the rest of the spiders or take their chances against just one. 

Estel observed the spider intently, trying to discern its intentions. He could hear Legolas quietly coming to his senses. He knew that the spider could hear it as well, and he did not want Legolas to attract any more attention to himself than necessary. 

"Mellon nín, hush." 

The spider slowly approached them again. It appeared to be apprehensive, as it would take a few step towards the prince and then stop, turn around, and go back a few steps. The spider made no sound, its feet barely making an impact on the ground. It appeared to pace back and forth, apparently trying to…make up its mind? 

Estel's curiosity was peaked. Since when did a spider hesitate to kill an elf? Not sure what the spider had in mind, he watched in silence, his whole body tense. 

The spider again attentively approached the body of the elf. It gently used his legs to roll Legolas over and peer into his face, eliciting a soft moan from the elf. The creature raised a careful foot to nudge the hair that covered the elf's features. Not making any aggressive moves, the spider gently stroked Legolas' face as if in a trance, its foot softly caressing the elf's cheek. 

The touch pulled at Legolas' dull senses, alerting him to someone's presence. He opened his eyes to find a spider directly over him, its foot touching his face. 

"No," he moaned quietly, too tired to really put up a fight. He tried to wriggle away to escape the touch, fearing that it was time for more poison, but he did not have the strength. 

The spider backed off immediately at his movements it stood watching them both with interest from just a few feet away. 

"Legolas are you with me?" he whispered, his voiced edged with hope. 

Forcing his parched lips open, Legolas tried to regain control over the horror he had woken to. 

"Yes," he answered his voice weak and unsteady. 

"Are you well? Is anything broken? Did it hurt you?" Anxious, Estel fired question at the weary elf. 

"No, No I do not think so. Why?" The elf's mind struggled to take in the situation. "What is happening?" 

"We're still in the spider lair, but we are back on the ground now." 

He turned his head to find Estel next to him, still wrapped up in a white cocoon. It all seemed familiar. The last thing he remembered was the searing pain of the spider bite piercing through his leg. _How long had he been unconscious?_

Legolas sighed. He was getting tired of always having to figure out what was going on. 

"We were not on the ground before?" the elf asked, confused, his mind trying to find its way through the fog that clouded his thoughts. 

"No," Estel answered with a smile. "But we are now, thanks to our curious friend standing over to your right." 

Legolas looked to see the dark form of a spider watching them from a few feet away. 

_Great_, he thought,_ another_ _spider who wants to play with me_. 

"How is this good?" the prince inquired sarcastically. 

Their conversation was halted by the approach of the spider, seeing that they were both awake now, it walked slowly around the two bodies until it was beside the human. The spider hesitatingly reached out and slashed the webbing that held the human tight. It then quickly scurried away a few feet and waited for the human to move. 

Too surprised to make a sound, Estel felt the webbing give way. He quickly began to free the rest of his body from the confines of the remaining strands. 

Legolas watched in shock, he struggled to take in the unbelievable scene unfolding in front of him. He tensed as the spider now approached him, he hoped with the same intentions of freeing him too. 

It did not immediately release him as it had the human. Instead it lowered its head to look closely at the elf, causing Legolas' heart to race. 

The spider fought the natural urge to sink it's fangs into the elf's soft, inviting, flesh. The spider took in every detail of the elf's features. Its claw caught the edge of the webbing by Legolas' neck, slicing the cocoon and exposing Legolas' clothing underneath, but stopped short of cutting him out. 

The spider appeared entranced by the exposed clothing underneath. He lowered his head even closer, his fangs practically touching Legolas' chest. 

"Estel," Legolas cried out softly, searching for his friend in the dark, unable to contain his alarm. He was sure he would feel the fangs piecing through his skin at any moment. 

At the sound of the elf's cry, the spider jerked as if woken from a spell. It moved to cut along the elf's cocoon in the same way that it had freed the human. 

The spider felt the elf tremble under its touch. After watching the treatment the elf had received at the hands of his leader, he could understand why. He had been on the receiving end of his leader's punishments himself and knew he was one spider that deserved to be feared.   
His attention draw back by the sound of his name, Estel saw the spider cut through Legolas' cocoon, 

Understanding Legolas' fear at the closeness of the spider, Estel reassured him in a low tone, "Hang on, I am almost free" 

Estel tried to hurry even more as he untangled himself from the sticky webbing, but it was not easy to escape the sticky strands. As soon as the last part that held his legs together was removed, he crawled over to Legolas. 

As the human moved over to the elf, the spider quickly backed away from the two, giving them space to get up without feeling threatened. 

Legolas felt the webbing being pulled away from his body. He remained tense even under the familiar touch of the ranger. "Easy, it just me," Estel reassured him. 

Legolas made a feeble attempt to pull some of the sticky threads off of his own body, but he was too weak to try and free himself the rest of the way. 

"Just relax. I have it," Estel murmured. 

Legolas turned his head to keep watch on the spider as Estel finished freeing his body from its prison. He did not trust the spider and found it difficult to relax with it standing so close. 

As soon as the last of the annoyingly sticky substance was removed from the elf's body, Estel helped him to sit up. He then placed himself between the spider and Legolas. Whatever the spider had in mind, he knew that he was in better shape to put up a fight than his friend. 

Without making a sound, the spider turned and walked a few feet away, and then stopped and looked back at the prisoners. It repeated the process, hoping the two would get the message. 

Estel watched, dumbfounded, as the message sunk in. Estel spoke first confused at what he was witnessing. "Is this spider helping us escape? Is that possible?" 

"Or trying to lure us away for himself." Legolas responded as he peeked around Estel to see what was going on. 

"Then why would it free us?" Estel questioned, "When it could have dragged us off and killed us in the cocoons. That seems much easier then freeing us and then trying to kill us" 

"I do not know, Estel. It does not make sense." Legolas replied softly, lowering his tired head to his hands. His world had begun to spin ever so slowly. 

"I do not think we have many other choices at this point, so I say we follow him," Estel reasoned. 

"I agree it is easier to kill one spider than one hundred," Legolas said glancing worriedly up into the tree canopies, expecting to see a million shining orbs staring back at him. 

Easing himself up, Estel stood stiffly, his muscles unused to moving after the long hours spent in the cocoon. 

"Then we only have one choice: to trust the spider. Are you ready?" 

Wanting to put as much distance between himself and the leader of the spiders, Legolas forced himself to sound more ready then he was. 

"Let's go." 

Estel offered his hand to help Legolas to his feet, pulling him close to his own body for support. 

Unprepared for the onslaught of pain and dizziness that assaulted him as he stood, Legolas buried his head into Estel's chest to stifle the cry of pain that climbed up his throat and tried to give away their escape. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pounding in his head and the nausea. He shifted his body to take the weight off of his injured leg that was screaming for attention. 

Estel heart sunk as he felt Legolas' hot forehead make contact with his neck as the elf latched onto him for support. He realized then that their escape had just gotten complicated. Remembering how long it took to get here in the first place, the journey out seemed impossible now. He let out a sigh, what he would give for a horse right about now. 

Focusing back on the problem at hand, Estel wrapped his arm around Legolas' waist and supported his exhausted body. He knew he could do nothing for his friend's injuries just yet. He would have to hold out until they were far away from here. 

He could carry the prince, but knowing that Legolas' stubborn pride would not accept the offer. The ensuing argument would just cost them time, time that they did not have. 

Estel whispered into Legolas' ear, "Mellon nín, are you ready? We must go. Lean on me as much as you can. I do not think that our guide will wait much longer." He glanced up to see that the nervous pacing of the spider had increased as he waited for them to follow. 

Legolas did not answer, but nodded in agreement. Pulling away from the ranger's support he raised his arm over Estel's shoulders, biting his lower lip, he fought any urge to cry out as the movement stretched his shoulder wounds. 

Legolas' muscles protested being used, his body was weak, and he felt hot and sweaty, something he was not used to experiencing. The limbs that had sustained the bites felt stiff and swollen. He was nowhere near free of the poison, and he was not sure how long he could go on before his body surrendered to its side effects. 

Quietly they moved to follow their savior; fear motivated their progress in the beginning driving them to move quickly ignoring the protests from their stiff and sore bodies. His body w 

The spider remained ahead of them, stopping if they got too far behind. Soon, however, the walking took its toll on Legolas and he found it difficult to keep moving. He depended more and more upon the ranger's strength as he fought to keep one foot moving in front of the other. Pushing him passed his body's current endurance. 

After many hours of walking, the spider stopped near a quiet stream. He walked over to the stream and then backed off, climbing a nearby tree to wait for them to rest. 

Shocked, Estel stopped in his tracks when he spotted the small stream the spider had directed them to. Not only was the spider saving them, but now he was also seeing to their needs. 

Not wanting to waste time questioning their good luck, Estel carefully lowered the prince to the grass next to the water so that he could drink. 

Legolas' body objected to the change in position. His lip was already bloody from trying to keep himself from making any sounds. He was relieved to have stopped walking his limbs had begun to tremble from the effort it took to keep going. 

Exhausted, Legolas did not move from where Estel had set him down. He lay on his side with his head resting upon the cool grass. The water was inviting and he was extremely thirsty, but it seemed miles away. 

It was still night, but not pitch black any longer, the sky was changing and the approaching day was looming overhead; the moon's soft rays broke through the trees making its way to the ground giving Estel his first good view of the prince. He did not like what he saw. 

The prince made no move to drink at the stream which was mere inches from him. Estel knew that Legolas had to be thirsty, as they had not been given any water during their capture, and the poison and bleeding both would have dehydrated the elf. And yet, he made no move for the water. 

Estel knelt down, carefully gripping the elf and supported him so that he could reach the water. He felt Legolas again tense under his touch. 

"Legolas drink; you need water to fight the poison and blood loss." Estel's voice was tender, but left no room for argument. 

Legolas nodded, too tired to speak, but he complied with his friend's instructions. He leaned over and cupped the water in his hands, bringing it to his dry lips. The water felt soothing to his parched throat. Drinking his fill, he used more water to cool his burning face. 

"Enough?" Estel asked. 

"Yes, 'Hannon le'" 

Estel helped him to lie back down. 

Legolas rolled over to lay on his back, motionless upon the damp grass, his wet face glistening in the moonlight. 

Estel took his turn to drink and felt refreshed by the cool water. He moved back and sat beside the resting elf. 

Frowning, Estel gently touched his hand upon the prince's arm, "Mellon nín?" 

"Yes?" 

Estel moved his hand to rest expertly upon the elf's forehead. The fever still raged within his body, increasing the worry that Estel already carried with him. He had nothing with which to treat the elf. 

Legolas let a sigh of relief escape as he enjoyed Estel's cold hand upon his feverish brow. 

Estel moved his hand to press against Legolas' flushed cheeks. From his own experiences, he knew how good it would feel to the elf. 

Legolas closed his eyes; he had not realized just how hot he was until now. 

He could not resist trying to continue his examination of his friend's injuries in the moonlight. He ran his hands skillfully over Legolas' body, feeling for the signs of fresh blood upon his clothes. He did not need the light to find what he was looking for. 

Estel found dried blood on Legolas' shoulder from the first bite and both arms from the spider's claws, but no fresh blood. At least nothing had opened up from the walking. Moving down to look for the wound on Legolas' legs, his hand was stopped by a warm wet hand. 

"Don't," Legolas whispered. 

He pulled Estel's hand away from his leg, back up to his chest, holding it tightly. He could feel the warm blood running down his leg, both from the bite and the claw wound. It would do no good for Estel to know now, for he could do nothing about it. He wanted to put as much distance between them and the spiders as they could. His wounds would wait. 

"No, Legolas, I need to see them now while we have water," Estel said, letting Legolas keep his hand imprisoned against his chest, knowing that it gave him comfort in the dim light. However, it gave the ranger no comfort as he could now feel the prince's racing heart beneath his hand. 

Estel pulled out of the elf's grip. He reached under his own tunic to tear strips off of his undershirt. Plunging the cloth into the stream, he prepared to clean the wound. 

Brushing the sweaty strands of hair that clung to Legolas' face, Estel warned him, "I am sorry. This is going to hurt." 

"I know," Legolas responded, closing his eyes. 

Estel gently cleaned the wound left by the spider's bite. Fresh blood ran down Legolas' leg as he squeezed the excess water into it. 

Legolas clenched his jaw as he tried to remain still under Estel's care. The only sound he made in response to the pain was his harsh breathing. 

Taking another strip, Estel bandage the leg tightly. With the last strip, he put it into the stream and then wiped Legolas' hot face with it. The cloth was so cold that it caused shivers to run down the elf's weakened frame. 

"I am sorry, that is the best I can do for now." 

After but a few minutes, the cloth on Legolas' forehead was warm, Estel removed it. He was surprised to feel Legolas' hand grip his wrist as he removed the cloth. 

"More," Legolas whispered. He was so hot that he felt like he was on fire. The cloth was like putting ice to his skin. 

"Let me put it back in the water to cool it first, Mellon nín." 

Releasing his grip on Estel's wrist, Legolas closed his eyes; he now knew just how terrible Estel felt when he was sick with human aliments. 

After several trips back and forth, Estel managed to lower Legolas' fever enough to give him some relief. 

Estel sat quietly next to the elf, hoping that he had drifted off to sleep. 

The spider took this moment to move above them. It took a distant path to the same stream to drink. 

Its movements were not lost on the prince. He was unable to let his guard down and fully rest while the spider remained with them. 

Breaking the silence, Legolas asked softly, "Are we being saved by a spider?" 

Disappointed that the elf was not asleep, Estel answered his question. 

"Yes, my friend, we apparently are being saved by a spider." 

"I just wanted to make sure I was not seeing things." 

"No, you are seeing the same thing as I. Not only has a spider just helped us escape, but it has even taken us to water." 

"Do you think it is just going to kill us later?" Legolas suggested, as he found it difficult to accept a spider actually helping them to escape. 

Estel paused, thinking, and then pointed out, "No, why would it wait? We are far enough away from the group that it could have done so already." 

Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Legolas said, "I do not understand why it would do this." 

"I do not understand either, but I do not know much about spiders. Have you ever heard of a spider behaving this way?" 

"No. I only kill them. I do not ask them questions. Maybe we should speak to Celylith," he said, his voice drifting off. 

Estel smiled at Legolas' reference to his childhood friend Celylith. If Celylith was here he would be right at home with the spider. He would be trying to stuff it into his backpack to take it home to…, 

Suddenly Aragorn's eyes widened. "Legolas! The spider! The spider that Celylith kept as a pet!" 

Legolas eyes flew open at Estel's outburst to peer at his face in the moonlight. 

"Wilwarin?" 

"Yes." 

"You think it is the same one? After all this time" 

"What if it is?" 

"It has been a long time since then, why would it help us now? We were not even very nice to it," Legolas reminded him. 

"I do not know Mellon nín. But it must be. I can't think of any other explanation for what it is doing. It has to be her." 

"It can be the _only_ explanation," Legolas repeated to himself a ray of hope breaking through. 

Relieved Estel pointed out, "Then, it must not be planning on killing us." 

"Maybe not you, but I on the other hand was not its favorite person," Legolas reminded him his previous joy melting away. He remembered the way the spider had stared at him before it had cut him loose. He had thought for sure it was going to sink its fangs into his chest. 

"Do not worry. I will convince her to spare you," Estel chuckled, as if reading the elf's mind. 

Legolas scowled, "Thanks." 

The spider returned to the tree while the human and elf rested. She had watched the human care for the elf. It stirred emotions in her that she had thought long dead. Images flew through her mind as she witnessed the kindness the human demonstrated towards the elf. 

Disturbed by what she felt and saw in her mind's eye, the spider could no longer sit while her mind wrestled with the past and the present. 

She also feared the wrath of her own kind, especially her leader. They could not sit still for long, soon it would be morning and when the first set of spiders woke up to begin the day, her traitorous actions would be discovered. 

The spider knew the rage that her leader would feel at the loss of such an important prisoner. 

She had taken over the guarding of the prisoners so that she could observe them. She never had intended to free them, but now there was no turning back. 

TBC   
I would like to thank Nili again for allowing me to use both her characters; Celylith and Wilwarin.   
Mellon nín-my friend Hannon le'-thank you 


	5. Dawn

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or absolutely any expertise as an author so forgive any mistakes that I may have made.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

Rating: T

**Chapter 5- The Dawn**

The spider lair was silent as the screams of the dying faded away like mist in the morning air. Their leader had taken his anger out on those who had brought him the news of the prince's escape; they had paid with their lives. His new orders had been clear: bring back the prince, alive or dead.

He would not tolerate the elf brat making him look like a fool. He wanted the pleasure of killing him in front of the elf king, but he would be satisfied with throwing the brat's cold dead body at the King's feet.

The entire forest had to be searched. His army took to the trees like a horde of bats, blackening the sky, eager to fulfill their duty. They hungered to be the one to recapture the prince and present him to the leader.

The anticipation filled the air. The hunt was on.

----------------------------------------------------------

Becoming nervous, Wilwarin climbed down the tree. Staying too long in one place was not good. She knew it was time to move. She had no intention of letting her own kind kill her.

Estel noted the spider's movements. He needed no explanation, the meaning was clear-it was time to move.

Standing up to follow, Estel turned to his friend. "Mellon nín, our friendly spider is leaving. It is time to go." Pausing a minute, he added with a slight chuckle, "We are taking order's from a spider, right?" Shaking his head, "I suggest, we tell no one of this."

The prince's eyes lit up with a look of horror, "Please, tell no one! A Mirkwood elf saved by a spider? No one will ever let me live it down, especially Celylith! When he finds out…Estel, you must swear to it!"

"Peace, Legolas, I swear, I will keep it to myself," the ranger answered, trying to keep the smile from returning to his face, but failing miserably.

Looking up from his spot on the ground, Legolas eyed his friend with uncertainty. The ranger was doing a poor job of containing his mirth. Legolas was unsure as to whether his friend fully understood the consequences this would have for him if word ever got out.

Ignoring the glare he was receiving, Estel delicately changed the subject. "Come, we must go, Wilwarin is waiting" he said, extending his hand out to the prince.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the offered hand, Legolas forced himself to stand, accepting the pain that accompanied the movement.

Estel was glad to see that Legolas appeared to be stronger then before, but his joy was short lived. The show of strength was just an illusion, unsteady on his feet, the elf swayed dangerously. Legolas hastily put out a hand seeking support, but met only empty air. Black dots clouding his vision and the earth began to spin again. Estel quickly grabbed Legolas' wrist, lifting his arm and ducked under it to help support the prince before he fell to the ground. It was not lost on him that the normally difficult prince did not protest.

They lost no time in following the spider, they were eager to put as much distance between them and the rest of the spiders. Wilwarin set a fast pace that they did their best to keep up with. They were racing against time and right now, time was winning.

To Legolas, the walk seemed to last hours. His fever had returned, causing sweat to roll down his back. He could no longer discern the time and place. The sounds of the surrounding forest faded into the background as the ringing in his head took over. None of this did he speak of, one foot in front of the other that was all he knew. He tried not to slow them down, but he knew, he did. The spider had to stop and wait for them to catch up more frequently. Sick as he felt, his pride still burned, he was embarrassed to be so weak.

Estel's lifted his head from the path. What he saw made his stomach knot. The morning rays were stretching across the sky, marking the end of their head start, now the spiders would come. They needed to move faster.

He could not stop himself from glancing up into the trees over his head, as if he expected spiders to jump down at any moment. He noticed that he was not the only one who appeared worried. Wilwarin, too, was looking behind them.

Estel strained to listen for any sounds coming from behind them. Many times in his life, he wished he was an elf, and this was one of those times. He was used to depending upon Legolas sharp eyes and ears to give them guidance when they ran from danger, he missed it greatly now.

The morning had just begun and Estel's clothes had already began to stick uncomfortably to his body as they ran, the added heat coming off of the prince's feverish body was not helping. He realized that Legolas would not be able to keep up much longer; he stumbling along already. Without Estel's assistance, the elf would not be moving at all.

As if reading his mind, Wilwarin stopped and turned around. She approached them slowly, walking right up to them and stopping a foot in front of them, blocking their path.

Estel had no choice, but to stop and wait. He watched her movements not sure of what the spider intended. She took her front leg and poked him in the gut, not hard, but enough to make the meaning obvious.

"_Stay._"

Nodding his head, Estel said, "Very well." He hoped that she understood him.

Wilwarin wasted no time, she turned and disappeared into the thick forest, taking a barely visible path.

Estel's eyes remained trained on the spot where she had slipped into the forest. Shock set in, she just left them. _What would they do if she did not return?_ He thought. They were dependant on her to find a way out of here. Without Legolas, he would not be able to get out of Mirkwood on his own.

Relieved, but confused at their lack of movement, Legolas woke out of his daze, "Estel, why have we stopped?"

Feeling ridiculous, Estel answered sheepishly, "Because, the spider said so."

Not really hearing Estel reason, he fell silent. Legolas was unsure why, but fear spiked in his far corners of his mind. "We must go," he whispered.

Estel felt Legolas weakly tug at him to move, but he held back.

"I know, I know, but she has helped us this far. We need to trust her on this. She will be back. Please trust me," he begged, trying to reassure himself as well as the prince.

Too sick to make any sense out of the situation, Legolas did not argue. Exhausted, his eyes drifted shut. He kept trying to reopen them, but his body would not listen.

The minutes ticked by, and Estel's paranoia grew with each passing moment. His eyes scanned the forest for any signs of Wilwarin's return. He swore, he could hear his own heart beat echoing through the forest, giving away their location to every living creature that could hear. He was determined not to let the spiders get their claws on the prince again. He needed to do something, anything would make him feel better then just standing here.

"Come, Legolas," Estel said softly to get the elf to move with him. The prince barely responded to his words, he just automatically began to move. Estel lead him over to the hidden path that Wilwarin had disappeared down. He walked a few feet in struggling to make it past the defiant brush that seemed determined to prevent their entrance into the forest. At least in the trees, he would feel a little less exposed, compared to standing out in the open, while he tried to come to a decision.

Finding a more secluded spot, Estel leaned back against one of the larger oak trees to rest. At least this way they were out of sight. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Estel's mind went over the situation. He tried to calm himself so that his heart would slow its wild beating. Finally, regaining control, he refocused his attention on the sounds around him, not wanting anything to sneak up on them. Suddenly, a loud rumbling assaulted his ears. Groaning, he realized his body was out to get them caught as now his stomach took this opportunity to let him know that he had not eating since yesterday morning.

Feeling tired from the lack of food and rest, he struggled to keep focused. He pulled Legolas closer to him so that the prince could rest against his chest. He had never known Legolas to be this ill before. Feeling guilty at the lack of care he was able to give his friend, he hoped the prince could hold out a little longer. He was surprised the elf was still standing, but he knew the prince had no intentions of being used against his father, so he would never give up; even half asleep his body was still driven. Brushing his head against the top of Legolas' head, he pushed his own annoying locks of hair out of his eyes. He kept watch for their rescuer's return, but as the time went by, he was less and less confident that he would see her.

Too much time had gone by without any sign of Wilwarin, his mind was racing, trying to figure out their options. Different scenarios kept running through his head. The main problem that stuck in his mind was that if the spiders found them, it would be almost impossible to protect Legolas. They would easily make off with him while he tried to fight them off.

Time was up, he needed to get moving. He could not wait for Wilwarin to return anymore. A chilling thought dawned on him. _What if they had already got her_?

Estel nudged Legolas, "We need to go. I am going to carry you."

The elf groaned.

"I am sorry. There is no other way."

He felt a slight tug at his shirt. Looking down, he saw Legolas' hand gripping his tunic.

"It's too late… They're coming," Legolas whispered. "Leave me and go get help"

"No, I will not leave you. Do not ask me again" he answered, leaving no room for argument.

Estel quickly glanced around, looking for any movement in the trees. Seeing none, he quickly gathered the prince into his arms and followed the path that Wilwarin had taken.

Estel managed to move rapidly through the forest. Legolas was light as most elves were and easy to carry. His determination and fear of being caught gave him the strength that he needed to carry on. He knew it would not take long for the spiders to spot them.

Guilt ate at Estel's gut. He had waited too long; he should have listened to Legolas and not remained for Wilwarin to return. Now they would pay for his mistake.

_Valar, please help us_. He prayed desperately. _This can't be happening again!_

_TBC_

Nothing like running through the forest with a bunch of very large spiders right behind you and I think finding just one in my house is bad.

See you all next Friday, I hope to update regularly now.


	6. Trapped

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or absolutely any expertise as an author so forgive any mistakes that I may have made.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

Rating: T

**Chapter 6-Trapped**

The forest got denser as he ran, forcing Estel to slow down. It seemed to be attacking him with everything it had; barbs, prickers, and branches all caught at him as he ran. Cuts and scratches decorated his body. He tried to protect Legolas from further injury, but found it nearly impossible. The struggle to make it through the foliage took all of Estel's concentration. He practically jumped at the sound of Legolas' voice.

"Stop. Please let me down," the elf pleaded.

Concerned, Estel stopped. "What is wrong? Are they here?" His eyes searched the area anxiously.

Legolas shook his head, regretting the move instantly. He only managed to get out one more word, "Sick."

"Hold on." Estel gently set him down on his feet, trying not to jar him anymore then necessary.

Legolas sunk to the ground immediately, dry heaves racking his body. His arms trembled with the effort to hold himself off of the ground.

"I am sorry," Estel said, feeling guilty over causing Legolas to feel worse.

Estel knelt beside him, pulled the elf's long hair back, and held it out of his way. The human kept glancing nervously around, expecting unwanted company at any moment. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the heaves stopped. The prince had nothing to expel, but his body was trying any way it could to free itself of the poison.

Resting back on his heels, Legolas closed his eyes.

Standing, Estel said, "Legolas, we must go," as he lifted the elf to his feet.

Nodding, the elf prepared to push on. His progress was interrupted by a familiar sound, a sound that spiked fear in their hearts, the clicking sound of a spider. Both ranger and elf froze. The forest was suddenly dead silent except for the wild thumping of their hearts.

Their eyes met for a single moment, and their plan was formed in that instant. They would fight with everything they had. Slowly, they turned. Estel's arm protectively reached out to pull Legolas behind him. No matter how many they faced, he wanted to be between them and the prince.

They were surprised at what they found. Hanging their heads, they both let out a sigh of relief, simultaneously.

What they found behind them was one very familiar spider; Wilwarin was standing impatiently waiting for their attention. As soon as they turned, she repeated her follow me motion.

Wilwarin did not wait for them. She scurried back the way she had come. Not needing to be told twice, Estel wrapped his arm around Legolas' waist and together they trailed after her. The area was so thick with undergrowth that it was difficult to keep the spider in sight as they traveled.

Wilwarin continued on until she came to a massive thicket that was practically impassable. Here she waited for them to catch up.

Finally catching up to the spider, Estel searched the mixture of trees and brush to determine what she was looking at. He could not make out anything but tons of green leaves and branches.

As soon as they arrived, Wilwarin crouched down, crawled into a hardly noticeable hole at the bottom of the thicket, and disappeared. After several long seconds, she popped back out.

Wilwarin, not wanting to waste any time trying to get her point across, walked behind the two and gave Estel a strong push with her foot towards the hole, nearly knocking them over.

"Fine, I get it," Estel answered, shaking his head. Valar, I am talking to a spider.

Estel already knew what she was thinking: that they would never escape at the pace they were keeping, and hiding, was their only option.

His only problem was how to get Legolas to crawl into this cave-like hole on his own.

"Legolas?" he said, giving him a nudge.

"Don't tell me we are going to crawl in there?" Legolas answered, lifting his weary head to look at his friend. Legolas' blue eyes focused on his friend's grey ones, confirming his fears.

Estel tried to hide his surprise at the paleness of Legolas face against the flushed color of his cheeks from the fever.

"Legolas, she is right, we will never make it out of here like this. We need to hide before they get any closer."

"You are coming?" he questioned suspiciously. His first thought was that Estel would be doing something stupid like leading the spiders away from them.

A smile graced the ranger's tired face, "Do not worry, I will be right behind you."

The prince was not convinced.

"I will not stay put if you do not keep your word, ranger." His voice softened as he added, "They will kill you to get to me."

Estel witnessed a flicker of pain cross the blue eyes that stared at him so intently, not physical pain, but emotional pain, the hardest kind for elves to bear.

"I promise, Legolas, I will not leave you. Now go." He promised.

Taking a minute to study Estel's features, Legolas looked for any signs of deceit. All he could see was concern, a look that he himself wore anytime their roles were switched and Estel was the one sick. Nodding, Legolas conceded, not that he totally believed that the Ranger would not do something stupid.

Estel led him to the small hole. Glancing back with a look that told Estel just how unhappy this was making him, Legolas mustered all his strength and crawled in.

The tunnel was so low that he had to lie down and pull his fevered body along by his elbows and wiggle through. It appeared to loop in a semicircle, Legolas noticed as he negotiated the turns, pushing his body up against the sides of the tunnel. They were filled with prickers and barbs that grabbed at his tunic. Trying to free himself, he felt a familiar sticky substance…spider webbing. Alarmed, he realized that the hole had been made by spiders. Fighting the urge to back out, he forced himself to continue. They had no other choice.

Finally, at the end of the tunnel, Legolas found a larger circular area. He moved over to the far end and collapsed. His breath was coming in gasps, his head was pounding and sweat was pouring off of his body. The ground had never felt so good. Giving in to his exhaustion, he silently slipped into unconsciousness.

Estel quickly followed Legolas into the hole. He could sense Wilwarin right behind him. He, too, felt the webbing along the sides. It was repulsing to feel it against their bodies again. If he never had to feel that sticky stuff again, he would be thankful.

Finding himself at the end of the tunnel, Estel surveyed their hiding spot. Light was scarce in the hole, but some filtered down from in between the foliage. The spots of light appeared like dots on the floor. The dust that they raised up with their movements floated in the air, filling the beams. Well, they had been in worse places than this, so it would do for now. It was difficult for his eyes to adjust to the dim light of the hole.

"Legolas?" he said in a low voice. Getting no immediate response, he followed the sounds of his breathing to locate the elf. He found the elf lying on his back. He gently shook him to wake him up, Alarmed, he came in contact with something wet. _Blood?_ He thought.

"Legolas," he whispered more urgently than before. Unable to see his hand in the dark, he stretched it out and stuck it in one of the beams of light to see what he had touched. Expecting to see his hand covered in elf blood, he held his breath, but was relieved to see none. Puzzled, he put his fingers to his nose. Sweat. Legolas was drenched in sweat.

Stressed, he assessed the situation. He had no water or supplies to treat the prince, but they should be safe from the spiders. One problem solved, another gained. The situation was beginning to irritate him; he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

Just then, Wilwarin joined them in the space, which did not seem too small until now. Celylith would have been happy; Wilwarin had grown into a good sized spider, enough to make any parent proud. Estel scooted over closer to Legolas to make room for the spider.

Wilwarin settled in by the entrance as if on guard. Estel turned his attention back to the prince, satisfied that the spider would protect them for now.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized that the first thing he needed to solve was the wet clothes. Legolas could not remain in them. He carefully removed the prince's tunic and sweat drenched undershirt. He laid them out on the ground to dry. The movements brought no response from the prince. He quickly checked over his wounds the best he could and found they were as good as could be expected in the situation. He worried about any infection setting in the leg wound without water to keep it clean he was afraid it would be the next problem to face. He was not sure if Legolas was strong enough to fight an infection at this stage. They needed help or at least to find their horses and supplies, then he could treat him.

The horses! The thought struck him. His brothers were to meet up with them, maybe they will run a crossed their mounts and come looking for them. He could only hope that they would be that lucky. Dismissing his hopes, he turned his attention back to the maters at hand.

Done with his examination, he sat down and pulled the elf up so that he rested on his lap. The ground did not make for a good pillow. Estel brushed the elf's stubborn hair back from his sweaty face. He could do no more, but wait for him to wake up. Laying his head back against the wall, his eyes quickly closed and he let sleep take him.

Wilwarin rested by the entrance, even through she had used her webbing to close up the opening outside after she was in, she still was on edge. She knew that her brethren would stop at nothing to reclaim the prisoners. If they found them, her death would be quick at their hands. As she made herself comfortable, she remember life from before, before she was with them and it was more then just hunt and kill. There had been something more, something like she saw between the human and the elf. Watching the two interact brought back memories to her. She knew that this was not the elf that had shown her mercy so long ago, but one of his companions. His clothing matched the elf that saved her. The human too was familiar, but not like the elf, this elf had been close to her elf. For this, she had shown him mercy, to repay the debt she now knew she owed. Her elf had been kind and gave her food, more then she needed. She felt a strong connection to this creature even after all this time.

Time seemed to slow down to a snails pace inside, the sound of the forest around them lulling them in their sleep. The first thing that Legolas was aware of was the coldness of the ground against his body. He was not sure of where he was or why he felt hot and cold both at the same time. The next sensation to hit him was the nausea. He groaned, it was back in full force. Even with such limited experience with the feeling, he already hated it. He tried to take some deep breaths to still the commotion building in his stomach, but it did not seem to work. Unable to resist the call of his body, he was forced to his knees, wrapped his arms around his stomach, waited for the feeling to grow. He did not have to wait long.

A familiar sound was edging into the man's peaceful sleep, a sound that was very familiar. His eyes shot opened as he recognized it. "Legolas?" he called, as his hands searched out the elf.

Legolas tried to stifle another moan, but was unsuccessful.

Worried, Estel asked. "Sick, again? Is this normal to be sick this long?" having limited experience with spider poisonings, he was unsure of what happened.

"Yes, no antidote to stop it" he forced out between breaths.

Legolas was on his knees leaning against the wall for support still holding his stomach. Estel gently pulled him off of the thicket wall to rest against his own body. He twisted Legolas' hair back to keep it out of his way. Finally, the heaves came farther and farther apart till they ended. In all its effort, his stomach had brought up nothing. Panting heavily, Legolas collapsed against the ranger .

"Better?" Estel asked softly.

"Where are we?" He finally asked after catching his breath.

"You don't remember?" Estel asked, concerned over his friend's confusion.

"No, refresh my memory." Legolas sat up away from the ranger, trying to get his bearings.

"Hiding in the thicket, of course," Answered, as if to say where else would we be.

"Wilwarin?"

"She is here," Estel admitted.

"In here... with us?" he questioned, his voice betraying how uncomfortable he was with that thought. The place was so small and claustrophobic even without a large, hairy spider crammed in with them.

Picking up on his friend distress, Estel tried to reason with him.

"We must wait them out. We will never make it out of the forest without being caught."

Closing his eyes, Legolas forgot about the spider. His body quickly demanded his attention again. He felt like he had just taken a plunge in a cold river and his body began to shake.

Taking Legolas' silence as acceptance, Estel encouraged him. "Try and sleep, while you can. There is nothing else we can do until for now."

Shivering uncontrollably, it finally dawned on Legolas that he was missing half of his clothes, and he was freezing. "Where is my…my shirt," he asked, unable to stop the chatter of his teeth.

"You are cold?" Shocked, Estel touched Legolas' forehead. The fever had broken and now he was cool and clammy.

"Hang on." He reached over to grab the prince's clothes, but they were still wet, no where near dry enough to put on a sick person. It was too cool to make the sweat drenched clothes dry so soon. He immediately stripped off his own tunic and undershirt without saying a word. He helped Legolas sit up and slipped them on.

"Here." Estel sat down and pulled Legolas back to lean against him. He wrapped his arms around the elf's cold body to warm him up.

The clothes felt wonderfully warm, but they were big and smelled like a certain ranger he knew. "Yours?" Legolas questioned disbelievingly.

"Yes, yours are too wet for you to wear," Estel answered. He knew where this was going.

Realizing that meant Estel worn nothing, Legolas argued, "You will get sick without…them."

Holding him captive, Estel replied sternly, using his father's 'I am a healer tone', "Mellon nin, do not argue with me. You are the one sick, not me. Do not worry, I am not that fragile."

"You are a human. I am not going to feel the"- Legolas disputed, still attempting to extricate himself from the ranger's grasp. Even in his weakened state he was a handful.

"The cold, I know, all mighty elf. Just let me have this one and go to sleep." Estel interrupted. He managed to tighten his hold, preventing Legolas from freeing his arms.

"I protest your sacrifice-" Legolas began, giving up his physical struggle because he was just too tired too continue. Estel was going to be stubborn about this.

"Legolas, I will not-"

"But, I do appreciate your warm, smelly clothes, Hannon le. Now, if you will stop talking so that I may rest, you are keeping me awake." Legolas finished with a note of his old self.

"Elves," Estel said, rolling his eyes.

Between the warm clothes and Estel's body heat, the shivering finally stopped and he was able to drift off to sleep. Estel follow quickly after him.

Legolas quietly stirred from his sleep; something was prodding him to wake up. He had been sleeping heavily with his eyes closed when he felt a faint presence in his mind. Finally awake enough to listen, Legolas heard the trees warning him to run, their concern for his safety evident. They wanted nothing more than to keep the elf safe from harm. Giving his quiet thanks to the trees, he gently elbowed Estel to see if he was awake. Estel was alert instantly, and he was about to ask what was wrong, when Legolas placed a slender finger over his lips, preventing him from speaking.

"Shhh." Pointing up above them, he mouthed "They're here."

Wilwarin was shocked, she could not sense any of her kind and yet the elf already knew that they were coming even when he was asleep. She watched him intently, wondering how he could know. Her eyes bored into him, looking for any way in which he could foresee their arrival.

Her stare did not abate as the elf turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers. Instinctive anger boiled to the, and she rose up onto her legs in a threatening manner. _They had magic, these elves_? _Is that how they killed so many of us?_

Legolas tensed. He could sense the change in the spider, but he did not know what he had done to cause it. He held her gaze, waiting for her to make a move.

Estel too noted the change in the spider, and he moved to get between Legolas and Wilwarin. But, Legolas reached back and placed his hand on his chest stopping him from moving.

"Wait," he whispered.

They watched as the spider seemed to battle herself. She seemed ready to attack, but yet she did not.

She froze. Looking into his eyes, she saw no hatred there. He returned the gaze, but made no move to defend himself. He did not look at her as her elf had, but she could not raise a hand up against him.

Her instinctive anger cooled. She would not strike the elf, her duty to the other one was too strong and overcame her emotions. They would never overcome these elves, she thought. They were more powerful then spiders could ever be.

Estel breathed a sign of relief as the spider lowered her body back to the ground. Whatever had bothered her was done.

They had not time to discuss what had just happened as the sounds of army outside caused them all to instinctively look up. The rest of the forest fell silent as the creatures that lived here either ran or hid from the approaching evil.

Refocusing on the danger outside, Legolas sensed many spiders in the area, too many to count. It was against his nature to hide, but this was one time he felt no desire to go out and fight. He was so tense that he jumped when Estel gently pulled him back to lie against him.

"There is nothing you can do. Rest, I will keep watch," Estel whispered softly into his ear.

Legolas nodded, but he did not think he would be able to find any rest with so many spiders overhead. His sharp hearing was bombarded by the sounds of the eight legged army scrambling overhead. They made no effort to be quiet because they were not trying to sneak up on them. Instead, they were trying to run them down. He closed his eyes as he imagined the hundreds of spiders combing the forest, each one with only one thought to find him and take him back. He could practically feel their insatiable desire to dig their sharp fangs deep into his flesh, and his body shuddered at the thought.

Thinking he was cold, Estel crossed his arms over the elf's chest to bring him added warmth. Legolas tensed instantly, his body responding to his thoughts. Feeling ridiculous, he took a deep breath to calm himself.

The spiders above crisscrossed the entire area, looking for any signs of the

prisoners. Many times, they stopped and listened for any sounds that would give away the elf's location. The spiders were thorough and searched in waves. When one wave moved on the next one came.

Underneath, the escapees held their breath every time the spiders stood directly above them, causing their hearts to race in fear of discovery. The rays of light would disappear as the spiders walked over their hideout, their feet blocking the holes. Inside, hope flourished when the light was restored.

Tired as he was, Legolas found no rest, as his ears strained to listen for any signs that they had been discovered. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sounds around him. He could tell that there were hundreds of spiders searching this one area for them. He knew that the entire forest had to be covered in spiders in every direction. They would never escape this self imposed trap that they were in. How long could they stay in this hole? They had no food or water. Estel would not last long without either one. He did even know how long he would last. He was extremely tired and thirsty, and even an elf needed water. But, what about a spider?

Opening his eyes, he stared at Wilwarin. He tried to push his dire thoughts into the back of his mind, but one kept coming back to haunt him. _How long before Wilwarin looked at them as food, instead of friends?_


	7. MIstrust

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or absolutely any expertise as an author so forgive any mistakes that I may have made.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

Rating: T

Authors note; Sorry this is so late. Some of you know that two of my family members have acquired broken bones and therefore being a nurse and errand runner had been added to my duties. So far they will be ok, just need time to heal. Now that things have settled down a little bit, I should be able to post on time. Thank you for your patience.

Mistrust

Time passed slowly for Estel while he kept watch over his sleeping friend. The prince's eyes had drifted shut many hours ago as his body gave in to much needed rest. Estel continued to allow the prince to rest against him. He tried to keep the elf as comfortable as possible, knowing that Legolas would heal quickly while he slept.

His concern for the elf's well being cost the ranger dearly in his own comfort. His body was stiff from lack of movement and the ground had become surprisingly hard over the last few hours. His back was riddled with tiny little holes as a variety of sharp pointy things sticking out of the thicket walls stabbed him in the back, making it impossible not to fidget.

Realizing for the hundredth time that unless he wanted to disturb the prince, he could do nothing about his uncomfortable position, he gave up. Turning his attention to more important matters, he tried to determine their next move. The spiders were done searching this area and had moved on hours ago. Did they plan on taking this same path or would they return home by another route? He was sure that they, of course, would return by the same path, therefore trapping them here in this wonderful alcove even longer. That was just their luck. That way, if they left the thicket before the spiders returned, they could possibly walk right into each other. What a pretty picture that would be, he groaned to himself. Who would be more shocked: them or the stupid spiders? No, the only choice was to wait. But without food or water how long could they wait?

An approaching storm released an unexpected crack of thunder over the forest that shook Estel from his thoughts, causing him to jump slightly at the sound. His sudden movement and the loud thunder disturbed his sleeping patient. Startled, the prince bolted upright, his hands automatically reaching for his weapons.

"Shh. It is only an approaching storm, we are safe," he reassured the prince quietly, his hands gently stilling the elf's movements.

Gripping his knife hilts tightly, Legolas hesitated, letting Estel's words sink in. Slowing his rapid heartbeat, he calmed himself. Another crack of thunder shook the thicket as the storm moved closer.

"See, a storm," Estel repeated, looking over the startled elf's body with the eyes of a healer, trying to gauge his condition in the dim light. Feeling the tension leave Legolas' hands, he released his hold over them.

Relaxing his grip on his weapons, Legolas let them slide back into their sheaths. Rubbing his hands over his face, he felt his earlier anxiety leave him.

"How do you feel?" Estel asked, hoping for the truth from his stubborn friend.

Legolas thought for a minute before answering, leaving the ranger on edge. "I actually feel better. The poison has worn off, I believe." He answered, silently taking stock of his body's aches and pains. His head felt much better and he no longer felt hot or cold. However, there was a smell… with that thought he remembered the clothes.

"Where are my clothes? I believe these are yours." He said, pulling at the neck of the tunic he now wore while he tried not to sound too eager to rid himself of the offending items.

Estel knew it was taking all the self control the elf had not to rip the borrowed clothes off of his body. He was relieved to see that he was better enough to care about such frivolous things again.

"Hmm…Let me see. I put them around here somewhere." He pretended to search around the thicket floor for the clothes.

Trying to control his impatience, Legolas made an effort to help. "A little more to the left, Estel," he directed, trying to sound helpful, but not eager.

Not able to wait any longer, the elf stripped off the offending tunic and undershirt and handed them back to the ranger. "Here. Thank you, mellon nin, for your kindness, but I must insist that you put them back on. I would not want you to get sick from the…the dampness." He finally decided, ending with a sweet smile.

Ignoring the elf's lame reason, Estel answered back just as sweetly, "You are welcome, mellon nin. Feel free to borrow them anytime."

Handing the elf back his shirt, he could have sworn he heard something about kissing an orc come from the prince's lips, but one could never tell when dealing with the prissy elf.

The rest of Legolas' mumbled comments were drowned out by another crack of thunder, followed by an immediate release of rain. Both fell silent as they listened to the enchanting sound of water hitting the forest leaves. The sound was music to their ears. Looking up as if expecting to see the drops fall on their heads, they waited to see if any would appear. They hoped that it would penetrate the enclosure enough to give them all a much needed drink.

Slowly, drop by drop, water trickled down through the layers that separated them from the replenishing liquid. It was a painful, slow process.

Even Wilwarin rose up in anticipation of some water.

As the rain continued, they searched the leaves above them for any that held droplets of water on them. It was only a little, but it was better than nothing. They were disappointed to hear the rain stop as quickly as it had started, leaving them with just enough water to wet their dry mouths. It was only enough to tease them and make them crave more. It did nothing for their dehydrated bodies, especially Legolas, who needed to replace more fluid than the others.

Frustrated, they all sank back down to the ground. "Great, now what do we do?" exclaimed Estel, aggravated from the small ray of hope the rain had caused had been so quickly crushed. "Can't something go right for us?" he said, running his hands through the unruly hair that was hanging in his face.

"Peace, mellon nin. We will find our way out of this mess," Legolas said, trying to calm the irritated ranger.

Shaking off his aggravation and trying to get his mind off of the thought of water, Estel asked, "What do we do next?"

Looking towards the spider as she made herself comfortable again, Legolas sighed. "We wait. They should come back this way when they do not find us."

"How long will it be?"

Glancing at the light that filtered through the holes, Legolas answered, "I believe it is still early evening, and they should return home before dark. So they should be heading back this way already. Then, once they pass, we run and put as much distance between them and us as we can."

Nodding in agreement, Estel leaned back against the thicket wall, this time moving to avoid all the sharp objects. His anger waning, he suppressed a yawn that snuck up on him.

Catching the yawn the ranger tried to hide, Legolas felt guilty at keeping him on watch for so long, "Sleep, I will take watch. We must both be as rested as possible to make it out of the forest."

The human's eyes were already closed. He made no attempt to argue with the elf's logic in the matter. Satisfied, Legolas mimicked the ranger pose and sat back against the wall to keep watch.

The elf found his attention falling back to Wilwarin. The spider appeared to be asleep, but Legolas doubted that she was. Pondering their situation, he found that he had to struggle against his own instincts not to trust her. He wondered if she had to do the same for him. Putting his instincts aside for now, he had no choice but to trust her. With a sigh, he turned his reflections outward to the surrounding forest, waiting for any sign of the spiders return home.

Sometime later, he was brought out of his light reverie by the feelings of distress coming from the trees. They disliked the spiders traversing their limbs and ground, their own displeasure reaching his mind.

Leaning over, Legolas tapped on the ranger's shoulder to bring him out of his sleep. He wanted to be prepared for anything.

"They come," was all he needed to say and the ranger was instantly awake. Wilwarin, too, shifted and rose up on her legs slightly.

Within minutes, the ground vibrated from the movement of hundreds of feet as the spiders scurried overhead. On edge, they all three strained to hear what happened above them. They were relieved to hear that the creatures did not seem to falter in their journey back. The spiders were no longer searching for them. The creatures must have assumed that they had lost their prisoners.

Relieved, they silently waited for the last to pass by. The largest section of the group had passed leaving only the stragglers to go. Even after them, they would have to wait some time to make sure there was no more lagging behind.

Suddenly, the air was filled with a hideous shriek. Legolas' first reaction was to cover his sensitive ears at the intrusion. But instinct was quicker, and he drew the knife hidden in his boot as he tried to determine the location of the high pitched wail. Estel mirrored the elf's action.

It was Wilwarin and she was screaming in pain. A second wail rose up from her throat. Legolas stared at her, straining to see the cause of her pain. He finally spotted it. With a swift movement, he sliced through the appendage that pierced the spider in the back. A louder, angry shriek was heard in response from above.

Reaching over, Estel pulled the severed limb out of Wilwarin's back and threw it in the corner. A commotion could be heard above. They had been discovered by pure dumb luck. A spider's limb had fallen through one of the holes as it walked over the thicket, stabbing Wilwarin in the back with its sharp claw.

"We need to get out of here, now," Legolas whispered, his eyes trying to peer through the thicket's roof in an attempt to see what was happening.

Before Estel could answer, more spider legs stabbed into the thicket through the ceiling above as the spiders tried to locate their prey. Their sharp claws desperate to make contact with their bodies, it would only be a matter of minutes before they would succeed.

"Go," the elf shouted no longer trying to keep quiet, while he pushed Estel toward the exit tunnel first.

Estel quickly ducked into the opening and crawled as fast as he could through the winding tunnel. Wilwarin would follow next and Legolas last, as he knew he made the smallest target compared to the other two. He concentrated on dodging the sharp claws that were shredding the entire roof of the thicket. The spiders above were excited. They cut and clawed at the floor beneath them, trying to break into the hole. It would not hold up much longer. He kept glancing at the exit to check and see if there was room for him to enter yet. He plastered himself to the thicket floor, trying to melt into the dirt. Already, small cuts decorated his body in places where he had not moved fast enough. Pushed to the farthest corner, he slashed at the next leg that tried to skewer him. Debris was raining down on him as the roof became unstable. Soon, this small hole would be full of spiders and that was something Legolas did not care to wait around for. Finally, he saw Wilwarin's back legs disappear through the tunnel. Dodging the attacks from above, Legolas crawled through the exit after them.

Estel moved as fast as possible with his knife in hand, prepared to fight as soon as he spotted daylight. Reaching the end, he found that it was sealed tight with webbing. Wilwarin must have closed it up after her. He quickly slashed at the strands, breaking them open. Taking a moment, he peered through the hole, looking for anything with legs. Behind him he could feel Wilwarin's feet climbing over his legs in an attempt to hurry him out the hole, but falling right into the waiting arms of more spiders was not his idea of fun.

Seeing no immediate spiders in the area, he pulled himself out the rest of the way. He was concerned about Legolas at the back of the line, fighting off the spiders from above.

He cleared the hole and quickly scanned the area for spiders, replacing his short knife with his sword. Taking a stand by the opening, he anxiously guarded their exit.

"Legolas?" he whispered, without looking down, knowing that the spiders were very close.

He received no reply, but Wilwarin exited the hole and immediate sought out the spiders that had discovered them. She quickly climbed into a tree behind them and attacked the nearest spider. She did not hesitate to act; she knew that they needed to kill them all before word got to the rest.

Estel was relieved when Legolas' blonde hair caught the corner of his eyesight. "Are you alright?" he asked, lending a hand to his friend as he made it to his feet.

Having not stood for many hours and lack of water left him a little unsteady on his feet, but he quickly shook it off. This was no time to be ill.

With a quick nod to Estel, he prepared to fight without actually answering the healer's question. Words were not always necessary between them. Legolas armed himself with his bow and arrow and he quickly targeted the spiders in the trees behind them, their large black shapes visible even in the thick branches.

Having realized that their captives escaped out the back, the spiders moved in to capture them. They popped out of the forest, there was only of eight, but eight would be more then enough to easily get the job done. Neither one of them was in great shape to fight the spiders off; one mistake was all it would take and they would be captured again. Determined to prevent that from happening, Legolas quickly aimed and struck the first two, killing them instantly. However, the rest quickly moved in, eliminating his ability to use his bow and arrow.

The elf swiftly replaced his bow and arrow with his knives and advanced on the nearest creature. Estel moved in to his right, engaging the second one. Experienced in fighting the spiders, Legolas quickly dispatched his first opponent. The next spider advanced on him and attacked immediately. Out of the corner of his eye, Legolas saw the last spider retreat to the trees. It was breaking off the attack and running to get reinforcements, and he knew it would return with a swarm of them. It had to be stopped. He quickly delivered a killing blow to the spider in front of him, its screams filling the air. Turning to Estel, he watched him battle a remaining spider. He was torn between running after the escaping one and leaving Estel here alone.

Catching the Elf moving in to help him, Estel yelled, "No, go get it! Do not worry about me." He had seen the spider escape to the trees and knew that they had to act quickly.

Hesitating a just a second longer, Legolas turned and ran after the last one. Taking to the nearest tree, he disappeared into its branches.

Estel continued to fight the spider in front of him as Wilwarin fought another.

Legolas pushed his body passed its current capabilities in order to catch up to the spider; he had no choice as it had a head start. After several minutes, he could already see glimpses of his target ahead of him. Ignoring his body's warnings, he pushed harder, trying to get a clear shot of the retreating spider. However, all the branches in the way made that seem impossible.

He spotted his chance when the spider abruptly cut to the right, obviously sensing other spiders in that direction. Legolas saw an opening in the branches ahead and took his shot. He was rewarded with a shriek from the spider as the arrow struck it in the rear, but he was disappointed when, although it slowed the spider down, it did not stop it. Shouldering his bow, he continued his pursuit. The spider kept an eye on him now, always trying to keep the path between them blocked. It moved slower, but with more planning. It made sudden twist and turns in its path to freedom.

Exhausted, the elf depended more and more upon help from the trees to stay upright. Other trees did what they could to hinder the spider's escape, hoping the elf would succeed. Finally closing in, Legolas reached out to steady himself against a branch and was shocked when his hand closed around nothing but air. He had not judged the distance between himself and the branch accurately. His heart skipped a beat, and he was unable to regain his balance. The ground was rushing up to meet him. He had not been so high up in the tree that the fall would kill him, but it definitely was going to hurt.

His impact came amazingly fast and knocked the air out of him, but it was not as painful as he had expected. But that might have been due to the fact that he was knocked out as soon as his head hit the ground.

The elf had no desire to leave the painless haven that he was currently visiting. His visit had been short, but pleasant. Now, pain was re-registering, in the far corners of his mind, demanding his attention. It was trying to pull him away from the wonderful peace he had been enjoying. Most persistent of the aches and pains was his head and the group of trolls that were busy dancing on his brain like drunken hobbits, only much, much bigger. The pounding was relentless. His hands found their way to his pained head and tried to hold it together. Afraid to open his eyes, he tried to figure out what had happened. Again, he was confused. He was seriously getting tired of being in this position. What had he been doing before he was so rudely knocked out? Before he could answer that question, he decided that he had to do something to stop Estel from pulling at his legs. His mind paused and questioned that statement. _Why was Estel pulling at his legs?_

Finding his voice, he tentively questioned the ranger. "Estel?" But he got no response. _Great, now I have to look_, he thought.

Forcing his eyes open, he ignored the pain that flared behind them. His vision was blurry and he could not make out a thing at first. Struggling to bring the world into focus, he almost wished he had not.

There standing over him was a spider that was very busy wrapping up his legs in a cocoon. Horrified, he tried to back up, only to have the spider yank him back down by his feet. Changing plans, Legolas reached for his weapons, only to find them missing. Having no time to ponder their location, he went for the small knives hidden under his vambraces. The delay was enough time for the spider to realize his mistake and move in to poison his prisoner before he escaped.

Its fangs made contact with his already bitten thigh; the thought of more poison in the same spot caused dread to well up inside of him. Raising his knives up, he tried to sink them into the creature's vulnerable eyes, but his reactions were sluggish and it saw his plan. Striking the elf across the face, the spider knocked him back to the ground. Its sharp claw sliced open the elf's cheek in the process. Stunned by the blow, he was slow to recover, and by the time he raised his head again, the spider's jaw was expanding to sink into his flesh. His knives were no longer in his hands. He had lost his grip on them when he was struck and they been flung to the side, useless to him now.

There was nothing he could do to stop it. Guilt riddled his heart. He had failed his own kingdom and his father. He was going to be used against them, used to force them into submission or they would have to watch him die. He did not think his father would live through that. A screech filled the air, and a bewildered Legolas realized that it had not come from himself; at least he did not think so.

The spider that had been ready to paralyze him just a moment ago was now screaming in pain. The cause of its consuming pain was none other than Wilwarin. She attacked the spider, biting and clawing at its flesh. She gave it no chance for escape, and its death was quick.

Too shocked to move, Legolas remained propped up on his elbows, watching the scene unfold in front of him. He found it shocking to see Wilwarin kill her own kind to save him. He had treated her with mistrust and now here she was saving his life again.

Wasting no time, Wilwarin slashed at the strands that bound his legs together and quickly moved to retreat from the elf. As if wakened from a dream, Legolas grabbed her leg and stopped her from moving away.

Wilwarin tried to pull her leg out of the elf's grip, unsure of what he wanted. All of her eyes came to focus on the disheveled elf in front of her.

"Thank you for saving my life, again," he said, feeling at little foolish, but he felt that he needed to say it, even if she did not understand him. "Celylith would be proud," He added, releasing his grip on her foreleg and letting her back away.

The spider faltered; that name, it was so familiar to her. It was his name, her elf's name. She had not even remembered it, only his kindness and what he was.

Legolas watched the emotions flicker deep within Wilwarin eyes. Her eyes that appeared to be soulless and black were filled with feelings or maybe even more than that. Maybe it was more like lost memories. He surmised there was more to her then he thought.

Even if she did not respond, she understood that he was sure of. Wilwarin made no move to acknowledge his words, but the look in her eye told him all he needed to know.

The moment gone, she immediately began the now recognizable, follow me motion. As if knowing he was too injured to climb, she stayed on the ground.

Legolas slowly got to his feet. His head swam at the motion; he was very familiar with these symptoms. A concussion, it was a word he heard often from Lord Elrond and Estel, and it was usually accompanied with bed rest and horrible tasting medicine. He cringed at the thought. As he searched the area for his weapons every muscle in his body screamed at him to stop. Ignoring them, he quickly located his weapons nearby. They must have fallen out when he fell from the tree. Letting out a tiny groaned, he realized that he had indeed fallen from a tree. What decent wood elf lets himself fall from a tree? Wood elf? What was he thinking? What prince, what warrior would ever fall from a tree? Another soft groan escaped his lips, between his aches and pains and his emotional suffering he felt terrible. Trying to reasoning with himself, he decided he did not need to tell anybody about it, since no one was here to witness it. He glanced at Wilwarin and quickly dismissed that ridiculous thought. How could she tell anybody? He thought shaking his head at such a prosperous idea. His world instantly spun, and placing a hand out to steady himself against he nearest tree, he paused. Note to self: no shaking of head. Happy with his decision, he put the incident behind him. Ignoring his body's protest, he followed Wilwarin as fast as he could, concentrating on getting back to Estel in one piece.


	8. Trust

TRUST

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or as an author so forgive the mistakes that I have made.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

Rating: T

Authors note; Sorry for the long, long delay. I almost drown in my real life problems, but I am climbing my way out.

The spider shrieked in frustration as he struck out at the elusive ranger, trying to catch him off guard. However, he failed to get the upper hand. The battered human seemed to falter, staggering at times, but still he came back strong. The spider knew himself to be superior, a mere human was not even worth his time, but even now, the battle was turning against him and the ranger was bearing down on him, the man's sword cutting into his flesh at every turn. Thick, black blood dripped down to the forest floor, smothering the leaves under their feet. Fluid loss was wearing the spider down. He used his anger to drive him on. The creature knew it only needed a small opening in which to make the final strike and the battle would be his. Ignoring his wounds, the spider saw an opening and moved in for the kill, the gleam in his eyes, the only prelude to his plan of attack. Eager to taste human blood, he did not see the trap until it was too late. Realization lit in his eyes as he saw the trap door open just as he fell in. The battle was lost as the human's sword protruded from its soft underbelly. One last shriek filled the air as the spider gave into a quick death.

Relieving his sword of the disgusting creature's dead form, Estel wiped the grisly blade off on the grass. Exhausted, he leaned against a nearby tree and rested his head against the rough bark. He had struggled to win the battle against just one spider. He could not imagine having to fight them everyday. He pitied the woodland elves. Mopping his sweaty brow with his sleeve, he wondered how they managed to continue the battle against these creatures for so many years. Speaking of woodelves, his eyes searched the trees in the direction that a particular wood elf had taken, unsure of how much time had passed during his fight with the spider. Glancing up, he tried to gauge the time, but the forest block any view of the sky above or the sun. It was useless. He did not know if he should be worried or not at the elf's absence. Wilwarin too was nowhere to be seen.

Without any certainty of which direction Legolas had traveled in, following him was out of the question. Tracking on the ground was one thing, but in the trees another. He did not relish just sitting here waiting while his friend was out there on his own. The urge to call out to him was hard to fight. He found himself pacing along the forest edge, unable to rest. Frustrated, he again searched the trees for any sign of the prince. Worry ate at his gut, causing the familiar feeling to grow. He hated feeling helpless. His helplessness was not to be out done by the guilt that accompanied it. What would he do if the elf did not return? He should have followed him. They should have stayed together. Those five words kept repeated in his mind. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, trying to force them away. They had gotten this far, and they would make it the rest of the way, he tried to tell himself.

Straining to hear beyond the silence that surrounded him, Estel's ears finally picked up a distant sound, a slight disturbance coming his way. His eyes tried to follow the sound to its source, hoping to spot Legolas' blond hair moving among the trees. After several long minutes, he was rewarded as Wilwarin emerged from the trees.

The spider stopped after she entered the clearing, spotting the human by the tree. Peering down the path, relief washed over his body as he saw Legolas behind her, looking much worse than when he had left. Concerned, he opened his mouth to question what had happened, but the look of urgency on the elf's face froze the words in his throat.

"Run, they are coming! We need to move!" Legolas blurted out as he neared the human.

"They have found the dead and are now heading back this way," he exclaimed, grabbing Estel's shoulder. He turned him around, pushing the confused human down the path in front of them. Taking a moment, Wilwarin gazed out, looking for any sign of her kind in the trees. They could be tricky and blend into the forest easily. Finally, sure that there was no one there she turned to follow the elf and human.

They broke into a run, even through they knew that they did not stand a chance in out running them. However, there was nothing else left that they could do, but run. All caution cast aside, they ran as fast as they could. Sticking to the worn path, they hoped it would take them back to the Mirkwood trails and the elves that usually patrolled there.

They had been running for almost a half an hour when shrieks filed the air bringing the group to a halt. Closing his eyes and resting his hand against a nearby tree, Legolas listened.

The tree let him know that the spiders had found the bodies that Estel had killed at the thicket and that the enemy was now on the very same path as them. Worried for the safety of the prince, the tree urged him to run.

Opening his eyes, he thanked the tree, "They have reached the thicket," Legolas reported.

Gasping, Estel reached out, grabbed the elf's hand and pulled, "Let's go."

Legolas almost fell over at the unexpected tug, but he did not resist. They resumed their pace putting everything they had into a last desperate dash for safety.

Both were exhausted, forcing their bodies to keep up. Evening was upon them and the forest was falling into darkness. Soon, it would be difficult to see and they would have to rely solely upon the elf to proceed. However, it would cost them speed. Estel knew he would slow them down, as both Wilwarin and Legolas could see better in the dark. Guilt reared it ugly head again, he knew if they were caught, it would be his fault. He did not want to be the cause for Legolas' recapture.

For now, Estel did his best to follow the twists and turns in the path. He glanced back every so often to make sure Legolas was right behind him. Returning his attention to the path, he was shocked to find it was gone. Without any warning, the ground dropped.Backpedaling did him no good, he was unable to stop and found himself tumbling down a short embankment. He had barely come to a stop when he felt Legolas crash right into him, knocking the wind out both of them.

Legolas quickly fought his way to his feet, untangling himself from the gasping ranger, pushing aside the dizziness that assaulted his head. He pulled Estel to his feet, steadying the ranger as he wobbled.

"Are you able to go on?" Legolas asked, worried that the human was injured.

"Are you kidding? Have you looked at yourselves lately?"

Confused, his eyes widening, Legolas stared at Estel. The ranger, still short of breath, had not spoken, but was staring off over Legolas' shoulder, his eyes wide in shock.

Seeing the elf's confusion, Estel grabbed the elf and turned him around.

Turning, Legolas found himself face to face with Lord Elrond and a large group of familiar looking elves.

Before the relief could register on their faces, Wilwarin took that precise moment to fall down the ledge, knocking them both off their feet, again.

The group of warriors instinctively drew their arrows and prepared to kill the intruder. Legolas threw himself at the spider, putting himself between the arrows and Wilwarin.

"No! Don't shoot!"

"Legolas, have you gone mad?" Lord Elrond demanded. "Move now!" he ordered, shocked to see the wood elf defend the spider.

Legolas cringed at the direct order, knowing he had to disobey it. "No, wait."

Estel, still trying to catch his breath, tried to speak, "Ada, wait…she helped us," he forced out.

"She saved out lives. Don't shoot," Legolas finished for the ranger.

In disbelief, Elrond signaled for the warriors to halt. "What?"

Sinking to the ground in front of the spider, Legolas tried to clarify. "She helped us escape. Please, just trust me. We do not have time to explain, the rest of the spiders are on our trail. There is too many to fight, hundreds. We must go. They…they are after me," he trailed off.

Seeing the desperation in the prince's face, the Lord hesitated no longer. "Elladan, take your brother. You, prince, shall ride with me. I think you have a lot to explain."

Estel gladly joined his brother on the horse without any complaint. Shocked, Elladan raised his eyebrow in a silent question.

"Do not even ask, brother," Estel responded to the questioning look. The idea of being on a horse and off his feet was too good to complain about even if he had to share it with his brother.

Elrond rode up to the prince and extended his hand down, keeping a wary eye upon the spider. Ignoring the hand, Legolas turned to Wilwarin.

Kneeling down to the spider's level, the prince instructed the spider, "Follow us closely in the trees. They will not harm you, I promise," finishing he cast a meaningful glance at the Nordic Elf Lord.

Watching the exchange between Legolas and Wilwarin, Estel was confused. He noted the kindness the wood elf was showing the spider. Legolas' appeared much more concerned with the spider's welfare then before. Something had changed between them while they were gone. What would make the elf trust the spider now? Estel added the question to his growing list of ones to ask the prince the first chance he got.

"Prince, you have my word that this spider shall not be harmed. Now, let's go, before you tell me there is more that I must spare."

Satisfied with the Lord's word, Legolas stood up. Another sudden change of position aggravated his growing concussion, sending waves of nausea and dizziness coursing through his body. He quickly braced himself against the Lord's horse to prevent himself from falling.

"Give me your hand, Legolas. I will guide you up," Elrond instructed.

The noise in his head drowned out any outside sounds, leaving the prince deaf to the healer's words. He continued to grip the horse for support as he tried to push down the nausea. His eyes were squeezed shut against the spinning of the earth. He never heard the second horse approach or Elrohir dismount. He gasped when he felt gentle hands lift him up.

Once on the horse, the prince tried to lean forward onto the horse's neck to relieve the nausea and to rest his pounding head against something, but he found hands holding him back.

"Lean against me, so we may ride," Elrond whispered.

"Estel, you will tell me what has happened when we get some distance from here," the Elf Lord said as he turned his horse to face the others.

Nodding, Estel watched the prince with concern, his sharp eyes in healer mode, confused as to how or why the prince was worse than before. He must have injured himself in the fall down the embankment, small that it was.

Raising his voice, Elrond addressed his warriors, "This spider will accompany us; no one is to harm it in any way." With that said, he turned towards the palace. The group broke into a hard, fast run. Even though they were all experienced warriors, none of them had any desire to fight the spiders of Mirkwood. They were still far from the Halls and had some distance to travel before they would be safe.

Posting guards at all sides of the group, they traveled for hours. Wilwarin kept pace with them in the trees, but she tried to stay by the prince, feeling odd surrounded by elves. She was unsure of the strength of the Elf Lord's command, but felt oddly safe near the prince.

Finally, feeling that they had put enough distance between them and the spiders, they halted. Signaling for camp to be set up, Lord Elrond sent a few warriors ahead to the Halls to get help.

The prince had been quiet throughout the trip, causing Estel to worry even more. As soon as the horse stopped, he slid off and quickly made way to his father's horse.

"Legolas?" he asked, reaching up to help him from the horse. He was surprised to watch the elf dismount on his own. Legolas stifled a groan at the movement; he was determined to hide this injury. However, the bumpy dash through the forest had succeeded in only aggravating his injury more. Legolas turned hastily, trying to put as much distance between him and the very determined healer moving in for the kill.

"Legolas, how are you sick again? What happened?" the ranger asked anxiously, stepping up his pace to grab the elf's arm, trying to slow him down.

Standing up straighter and forcing himself to look Estel in the eye, he answered, "I am better now. It must have just been the fall." The prince carefully tried to extract himself from Estel's tight grip, but found it nearly impossible.

Elrohir was already preparing a makeshift bed for the prince with cloaks, by the beginnings of the campfire. "Over here, Estel," he called, directing them towards the bed.

Estel pulled none too gently on Legolas' sleeve. He was not going to let the prince slide on this one. He was very suspicious and did not believe a word the elf had said.

Eyeing the makeshift bed, Legoals protested, "We do not have to stop for me, Estel, I am fine. We should keep moving. They cannot be far behind."

Narrowing his eyes, Estel glared at the stubborn elf in front of him.

Legolas stared back at him with one of his best innocent looks he could muster.

In his struggle to win the battle of wills, he had not heard reinforcements arrive. "You are not trying to get out of my examination are you, _young prince_?" questioned an authoritative voice.

The words froze Legolas in his tracks. He had momentarily forgotten about the Elf Lord's presence.

"Yes, Ada. He is" Estel answered with a trace of annoyance creeping into his words. His worry had driven him past his normal tolerance of Legolas' pride.

Turning carefully to face the healer, Legolas attempted to continue the battle of wills, "I am fine," being sure to look him in the eye for a more convincing performance. I have rested and now I feel better." A little stretch of the truth never hurt.

"We will see," Elrond said as he pointed to the bed that lay behind them.

"But we do not have to stop for this. I can wait until I get home." Legolas added, trying another stall tactic. "The spiders are planning to over throw my father, we need to warn them."

Not to be outdone, Elrond answered, "My warriors have ridden long and hard to find you two. They need rest as well as the horses. It will do no one any good if we fall to exhaustion."

Not willing to give in even to the Elf Lord, Legolas began anew, "But-"

"No buts, Legolas. We will not leave until you have been checked over to _my_ satisfaction," Elrond finished with a smile. He knew he had won this round. He always did. For a second, he could have sworn that the prince was about to bolt.

Realizing there was no way out of this one, Legolas audibly sighed. He had no desire to let anyone know he had falling out of a tree. His mind quickly searched for a suitable excuse.

He felt pressure from Estel's hand, pushing him towards the waiting bed. This was going to be very embarrassing, he sighed.

"Legolas, you cannot win, just let us help you."

Looking for anything to postpone the examination, Legolas glanced up into the trees after hearing a slight noise. He spotted Wilwarin waiting above. He started to begin a new protest, but Estel cut him off.

"Wilwarin is fine, Legolas, she can wait," Estel knew him well and was not going to let himself be put off by any possible subterfuge the prince could create.

Rewarding Estel with a glare, Legolas shrugged off any assistance and made his way over to the bed, followed very closely by two very determined healers. They were ganging up on him. It was not fair, not at all.

He was careful to keep any signs of discomfort from his movements. Giving both healers a see-I-am-fine look, he gracefully sat down on the prepared bed, knowing that all eyes were on him. He forced his own eyes to remain opened and did not let them close against the pounding of his head at the small change of position. With the adrenaline gone, he was beginning to feel more then just his pounding head. His body felt like it had been beaten by a troll. He still had not given up the hope that he could pull this off. Anything was better than having to admit the truth.

Elrond was retrieving his medical bag from his horse and Estel was fetching a water flask. Therefore, he had a moment's reprieve from the poking and prodding he would have to endure. It felt good to sit down and not to be moving. He tried to keep his mind off his body by following the motions in camp. However, no matter what he did, he could not keep the sick feelings at bay.

By now, the fire was going strong and the rest of the camp was settled in. Guards were in position and food was being prepared. He swore that the whole camp was against him. The smell of the food was stirring up waves of nausea in his stomach. He was certain his face was turning green. The stronger the aroma got the worse he felt. His eyes involuntarily closed as the activity inside his body commanded his attention. Taking a deep breath to calm his stomach only backfired as more of the odor from the night's meal assaulted his senses.

Suddenly, feeling he was not alone, he opened his eyes, only to find Estel staring at him intently. "Feeling fine, huh?" he asked sarcastically.

Defeated, Legolas just closed his eyes and rested his head against his knees. He did not want to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Even if he was not able to hide his injury anymore, he could at least keep quiet about its cause. Gentle hands touched his arm startling him from his thoughts.

Raising his head, he found Lord Elrond had joined his son in the torture-the-prince-session today.

"I would like to examine you now," the healer informed him.

Legolas slowly nodded his consent. What a difference a few minutes made. He was too sick to fight them, anymore.

Being the experienced healer he was, Elrond knew where to start looking first.

He started with the prince's head, feeling around looking for anything out of the ordinary. Legolas tensed, he too knew what the healer would find.

Elrond immediately found the source of the problem, a large swelling on the back of his head. Legolas hissed and pulled away from his touch.

Alerted by the sound, Estel followed his father's hands. "What did you find?" he asked.

Giving the prince a minute to collect himself, he explained, "He has a large bump on the back of his head. I am sure it is big enough for a concussion. When did he fall?"

Confused, Estel frowned, "That was days ago, Ada. I examined him earlier it was not there."

Moving to the side, so he could get a better look, Elrond gently parted the hair that blocked his view.

Looking closer at it, Elrond noticed the coloration. "The bruising is fresh, this has only happened a few hours ago. I'll go prepare a tea for the symptoms."

Elladan and Elrohir appeared by Estel side. "Anything we can do to help?" they asked.

"Warm water and some cloths to clean his wounds," Estel wanted to check over the wounds from before.

"I'll get it," Elladan responded.

Elrohir made himself comfortable on the other side of the prince.

The pungent odor of Elrond's tea announced his return. Both Estel and Elrohir wrinkled up their noses in disgust. One look from Elrond silenced any complaint that was about to come out of their mouths.

Legolas could smell the familiar odor of Elrond's tea. The smell alone had his stomach up in his throat. He had had it numerous times before. In fact, more times then he cared to remember, but even with such familiarity with the brew it still tasted awful and he would have to force himself to swallow. He turned his face away from the nauseating smell of the steam as it drifted near his sensitive nose. He could not hold back a groan as his stomach let him know just how upset it was.

"Mellon nin, you have a concussion and you are not going to feel better until you drink this. I know that is the last thing you want to do right now, but it is for the best. It will make you feel better," Estel encouraged.

A second groan was emitted from the wood elf as he turned to face the consequences. Prying his eyes open, he found a worried Estel and elf lord in front of him. The sharp streaks of light from the nearby fire were terrible for his headache. Closing his eyes against the light, he let out a disgusted sigh.

A soft touch to his shoulder caused him to peer out again.

"Drink this," Elrond said, as he gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Legolas felt the cup rest upon his lips, waiting. Taking it from the Healer's hands, he quickly drank it all down in one gulp. The horrid mixture caused an uproar as soon as it made contact with his stomach. Pushing the cup back into someone's hands, he groaned and returned his head to rest against his knees.

Elladan arrived with the water and cloths. He set them down next to the ranger.

"Legolas, I am going to clean your wounds. We cannot be sure of how much time we have to rest and I want to make sure they are healing. Can you lay down for me?" Estel asked softly, trying not to aggravate the prince's headache.

Legolas did not answer; he just did as he as was asked. He stretched his long frame out along the makeshift bed, laying his arm over his eyes to protect them from the light. He clenched his teeth against the new pain that assaulted his mind. Apparently, his body was against him too.

Pleased that he received no argument, Estel brushed his loose hair from his eyes and went to work. He carefully unwrapped the soiled cloth that covered the spider bite on the prince's thigh. The cloth stuck to the dried blood and dirt that covered the wound. He was not pleased with what he found. The wound was dirty and infection was setting in.

Estel dipped the cloth in the warm water and squeezed it out. Closing his hands over his son's Elrond took the cloth from his son, "Estel, go rest."

Surprised, Estel protested, "But, I am fine., father"

"Have you looked at your self lately?" Elrond asked with concern, resting his hand on his son's cheek,. "Please for me, let your brother tend to you."

Unable to say no to his father, Estel gave in.

"Elladan, please check him over and make sure he is not hiding anything either." He added giving his son a suspicious look.

Another protest formed upon the Ranger's face, but Elrond stilled it with a do-not-argue-with-your-father look. "I will tend to the prince. You must rest. As you said, we cannot be sure of how much time we have to rest, so you must get what you can." He ended with a smug look on his face.

Shaking his head, Estel sighed. "That was low, Ada," he said, handing the bowl of water to his father. He looked up to find his brother standing over him.

"Come little brother, let me see to you," Elladan encouraged, he knew how difficult it was to separate the two.

Elrohir returned with a handful of cloaks for another bed. He set them up just a few feet behind the prince, figuring that they had a better chance of getting their brother's cooperation. He was rewarded with a look of appreciation from the ranger. Without further protest, Estel moved over to the makeshift bed and got comfortable. Like vultures, his brothers moved in to question him about every bump and bruise on his body, and with a sigh, he accounted for every one of them to their satisfaction.

Confident that his son was in good hands, Elrond turned his attention back to the prince. The wound was indeed infected and required more time then they had to clean it to his approval. His hands worked quickly and as careful as he could, but some discomfort could not be avoided, even with his skills. The bandage had barely covered the wound, allowing dirt to get passed it. Frowning, he began to wonder just what they had been doing out in the forest. There was so much debris in the wound; it was as if they had been crawling through the dirt, literally. He had to scrub hard to clean the area. Regrettably, it was painful to do, but he had included painkilling herbs in the tea for the prince.

Finally satisfied with the level of cleanliness he was able to acquire, he paused. "Where else?" he asked, assuming that there was always more when dealing with these two.

Before Legolas could even think about an answer, Estel's voiced chimed in, "His shoulder has another spider bite." Like a little kid telling on his brother, Estel added, "He was poisoned twice."

Legolas turned to glare at his friend.

"Is that all?" Elrond mocked.

Estel thought for a moment. "As far as I am aware," he added skeptically, raising his upper body off his bed to eye the elf accusingly.

Ignoring the comment, Legolas was actually relieved. Giving Elrond enough old injuries to take care of would keep him from asking about the new ones. He made no attempt to aid Elrond in his examination or divulge any information. The tea had relieved him of his headache and dizziness. The nausea too was almost gone. He was still bone tired and his whole body ached, each bump and bruise making itself known, now that he was resting and the adrenaline was gone from his system. It was difficult to lie still on the bed, as his body ache in every position. Finally, he was forced to sit up to avoid squirming like an elfling. He found the entire process painful.

The timing was perfect and Elrond motioned for him to remove his tunic. Even through he knew the movement would cause him pain, Legolas did not ask for help. He carefully removed the items, not allowing any sounds to escape his lips. Nevertheless, a gasp still filled the air. Confused, Legolas was sure he had not made a sound. Regardless, he had heard a gasp of distress.

With the tunic and undershirt gone, the full extent of his fall was visible. Legolas had no clue that his back was covered in cuts and bruises, so he had not even tried to hide it.

The gasp from behind did get the lord's attention.

Shocked, Estel pushed away his brothers and returned to the elf's side. "Legolas! What happened?" Colorful hues of black and blue decorated the prince's normally pristine skin from top to bottom.

"Nothing happened. Why? What is wrong?" he asked, squinting against the fire's glare.

Elrond leaned over to peer behind at the prince's back. "Oh, my." It was obvious that the prince knew not of what they spoke.

Turning back to face the Lord, Legolas was confused. He apprehensively followed the healer's movements as Elrond took up a seat behind his back. Moving to twist around, Legolas was stopped by the lord's hand on his shoulder. "Stay," he commanded.

Reaching up, Elrond gently traced the area of bruising, feeling for any broken bones that may lie underneath the surface. He gently pushed to feel for any breaks.

Pain flared through the prince's body instantly at the healer's touch. He hissed and arched his back out of the reach of the searching fingers. The strong hand on his shoulder made his retreat impossible allowing the probing fingers to follow prevented any further escape.

"You have two broken ribs and a lot of bruising," Elrond concluded from his exploration. He returned to his original spot and graced the young prince with a raised eyebrow.

Trying to ignore the pain, Legolas took a deep breath to calm himself. He could feel the healer waiting for a response. Reluctantly meeting his gaze, Legolas quickly dropped his eyes to the ground. He wanted nothing more then to find a place to hide. His cheeks flushed red at all the attention, he could feel all four sets of eyes watching him.

Realizing the prince was not about to volunteer any information the healer decided he would need to insist. "Please enlighten us, little one."

He knew there was no way out of this. He had hoped to keep this story to himself. His shoulders slumped in defeat, followed by a sigh of resignation. Legolas painfully admitted the truth. He explained his misstep in the tree, how he had missed his target, and finally his fall to the ground. He also explained how Wilwarin saved his life.

Barely able to contain his outburst till the end of the tale, Estel fired away, "Why did you not tell me? I would have understood. You were not at full strength or even half, Legolas. You could have passed out and I would not have known. I could have left you behind."

"I am sorry. I did not mean to worry you." Legolas knew it would do little to smother ranger's anger.

"You just fell, Legolas. It could have happened to any of us," Elladan said, trying to make the prince feel better.

"It is not that," Legolas answered meekly, but did not elaborate. They would not understand. "I am sorry for not telling you."

Having known the prince his entire life, Elrond knew the answer. "You think you failed."

"Yes," He answered, raising his voice. "I did. I did not kill the spider. Actually, I would have been captured if it had not been for Wilwarin. I did fail." He repeated, lowering his eyes from the Lord's, trying to keep his emotions to himself.

Surprised at how much pain those three little words held for the prince, Estel was speechless for moment.

Letting out a sigh, Elrond lifted Legolas' chin forcing the prince to return his gaze. "You are no failure. You have battled this fear all your life. It pains me to see you belittle your abilities. I know you well enough to know that you would have stopped at nothing to prevent that spider from escaping, but sometimes your body is not able to keep up with your demands."

Nodding, Legolas conceded, for now, but he still knew inside that he had indeed failed and it would continue to burn him for some time.

Realizing, he had not gotten through to the prince, but time was not on their side, Elrond let the matter drop for now. "We are not done with this, young one," he warned. "Now, let's see to your wounds."

Legolas pulled his knees forward to rest his head upon them as he waited for the examination to end. He was suddenly weary and wanted to rest.

"How high were you in the trees?" Elrond questioned.

"Half of the way up to the top," he answered quietly. He could still feel Estel's anger and closed his eyes. He would have to deal with a long lecture from the irate ranger soon, but right now, he was too tired to let him start.

After wrapping the prince's chest to hold his ribs in place, Your ribs will mend in a few days. Rest, we will move soon." The healer instructed. "You too, my son, we will talk more tomorrow."

Estel opened his mouth to speak, but he was immediately silence by his father.

"Not another word." He knew that Estel was angry with the prince, but he wanted them to rest, not argue. That could wait until tomorrow.

"Yes, Ada." He lay back down on his bed. He too was exhausted and was glad to be able to sleep.

Elrond helped him pull his tunic back on, "Now rest," he repeated.

Legolas glanced up into the trees. He checked once more on Wilwarin, he found her watching from the trees above him. Satisfied, he laid back down only this time much slower then before. Accepting the pain that blossomed, he allowed his eyes to drift shut.

Hearing the prince settle in, Estel peered over at his friend. Seeing his eyes closed in sleep attested to the exhaustion the prince, too, felt. He watched as the prince tried to get comfortable, but the injuries covered his body and left no place free for him to lie on. His anger at his friend slipped away as concern replaced it. Reaching over, he grasped Legolas' hand in his. He gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze. He was rewarded with a pair of tired blue eyes, dulled by medication, pain and fatigue staring back at him.

Relieved to see Estel's anger gone, Legolas opened his mouth to apologize, but was stopped when Estel raised his finger to his own lips in a gesture of silence.

Estel then pointed towards his ever-watchful father sitting nearby.

Amusement brightened Legolas' face for a fleeting moment as he realized Estel did not want to incur his father's wrath.

Unable to keep his eyes open, they again drifted shut without the prince even knowing it.

Estel smiled and then he too closed his eyes. They were safe for now; that was all that was important. He allowed himself to follow the prince's example and sleep.

Watching from a distance, Elrond smiled as he saw Estel take Legolas' hand in his. His son could not stay mad at the prince for long, but he was sure that he was saving a long lecture for the prince tomorrow.

All was quiet in the camp as the group tried to gather what little rest they could. Except for the guards, the only other eyes that were open were Wilwarins. She had watched the entire exchange between the elves below and was surprised at concern they showed for each other. In her world, an injured spider was left behind. There was no mercy or kindness waiting them. They were left to die a slow and painful death no one giving them a second thought…, until now.


	9. Deaf & Blind

Chapter 9

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or as an author so please forgive the mistakes that I have made.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

Rating: T

Chapter 9

Deaf & Blind

Surrounding the elves, the normally active forest was surprisingly quiet. Half-awake, Legolas listened to the silence. He could not find rest as he lay on the makeshift bed. He knew that the guards would keep watch, but somehow the thought did not give him any peace. Finally letting out a deep sigh, he gave in to the persistent feelings and slowly opened his eyes. Checking out the camp, he found the guards were all in place and Wilwarin was still in the branches above. Everything seemed normal, he thought. Shocked, he wondered when he had begun to call sleeping under a tree with a giant Mirkwood spider in it normal.

Still, there was something wrong. Legolas could not put his finger on the exact cause. He reached out with his mind and tried to determine the cause. Sensing no immediate danger, he closed his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to get some rest. He was exhausted from the last few days. However, he could not ignore his feelings. Frustrated, he rubbed his aching head. The tea had definitely worn off. Irritated, he knew that there would be no rest until he checked things out for himself.

The last thing Legolas wanted was to draw attention to himself. He slowly lifted his head and searched for Elrond. He spotted him sleeping near the dim fire. Satisfied that the healer was not on patient duty, he attempted to sit up, but stopped halfway. Even sound asleep, Estel still held his hand. Carefully, he slipped his hand out from Estel's. Holding his breath, he watched Estel's fingers twitch and then relax. Relieved, he waited to be sure that Estel was not awake before he made his next move.

Suppressing a groan, he sat up as quietly as possible. Not only had his headache returned, but so had his other aches and pains. Falling from trees was not really a good idea, he decided. He mentally added that to his list of things to never do again. Taking a deep breath, he stood. Gripping the nearby tree for support, Legolas closed his eyes to stop the spinning. He could not remember having felt this badly before.

Shaking it off, he took another quick look around. Something was definitely wrong—he could not place where or what—but something was out of place. His senses were not in top shape at this point and he could not pinpoint the source of his concern. For once in his life, he felt doubt. Without a sound, he slipped into the darkness.

Above, Wilarwin watched the prince enter the forest. She wondered why he would leave the safety of the group. Her eyes tracked him through the woods. She had a strange impulse to follow. She felt protective over the elf, but did not know why. These were strange, yet familiar feelings for her. Distracted by her thoughts, Wilarwin did not catch the slight movement below as a shadowy figure entered the forest after the prince.

Legolas pushed himself a little deeper into the woods until he came to a giant old oak. The older tree might have been more willing to help him than the younger trees. Placing both hands on its rough bark, he tried to connect with the oak, but all he received was a deafening silence. He still felt there was something there. Was it fear or concern? Was it trying to warn him about something or someone? For once in his life, he could not figure it out. Why could he not hear the tree? Or any of the trees for that matter? Just trying to figure it out made his head pound. Confused, annoyed, and almost desperate, he took a deep breath and tried again. His second attempt produced the same results: nothing. All the strain made his headache worse. Frustrated, he rested his forehead against the bark and tried again.

"Legolas, are you well?"

Startled, he jumped, bumping his forehead on the tree's rough bark. He quickly spun around, drawing his swords. To his relief, he found only Lord Elrond staring back at him. How had he not heard his approach? Flushed, he let his weapons slide back into their sheaths.

"Sorry, I am a bit jumpy." Legolas said, rubbing the new bruise that was forming on his brow.

"Are you ill?" Elrond asked, concerned that he had been able to approach a seasoned warrior without being noticed.

"No, I am fine," he lied.

"Of course," Elrond said, rolling his eyes. "I think I will be the one to determine that."

"I am sorry. I did not mean any disrespect." Legolas apologized with a respectful nod.

"None taken."

Legolas saw the familiar look in Elrond's eye, the one that preceded an interrogation. He wanted nothing more than to return to his bed and forget all about this little trip into the forest. "I beg your leave," he said, with a slight nod. He started down the path to camp trying to make his escape.

Elrond had no plans of letting him off the hook so easily. He quickly blocked the path with his arm. "Oh, no. Not so fast," he said, shaking his head.

Freezing in his tracks, Legolas stopped inches from Elrond. He knew better than to push him aside.

Lowering his arm, he stepped onto the path. "Why are you out here?" he asked, using one of his best _you had better answer me_ voices.

Taking a few steps backwards, Legolas knew there would be no way out of this. Elrond's tone left no room for his usual games. He resisted the urge to rub his temples in front of Elrond in order to relive the pounding in his head.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Elrond prodded him. "Do not even think you are going to leave here without telling me what is going on."

Giving in, Legolas decided to go with the truth. "Something woke me," he finally said, glancing around. "I do not know what it was. But something is not right."

"And what did you find out here _on your own_?"

Legolas cringed. A crimson flush crept up his neck in the dark. "Nothing. My head…is fuzzy. I cannot concentrate," he confessed, staring at the ground. "I cannot figure it out."

Elrond had no plans of letting him off that easily. "Try again," he encouraged.

Not willing to disobey, Legolas closed his eyes. He reached out to the old oak again, but this time an intense buzzing clouded his mind. It was worse than before.

Elrond watched Legolas closely. He could swear the prince had just become a couple of shades paler.

Opening his eyes, Legolas avoided facing Elrond. "It is no use. I cannot. These trees are closed to me."

For once, Elrond was sure that Legolas was telling the truth. So, he tried another approach. "Tell me what you do know."

As he resisted the urge to squirm, Legolas felt like a small bug in the hand of an inquisitive elfling. "The trees…they try to tell me something, but…I cannot tell what..." He trailed off, unwilling to explain further. It was pointless; he felt useless. "I can't hear them."

Disturbed, Elrond signaled to the guard.

Appearing from the shadows, the guard stepped forward. "Yes, my Lord?" He said.

Legolas flinched, startled by the guard's appearance. How had he not sensed the guard's presence?

Elrond caught the slight recoil the prince made at the guard's words. He had not seen the guard either. Now, he was sure that there was something wrong, but he didn't know if it had to do with the surroundings or just the prince.

Legolas felt Elrond's eyes still on him as he addressed the guard. He knew his reaction to the guard had not gone unnoticed by the healer.

"Discreetly wake everyone and break camp. We leave as soon as everyone is ready," Elrond ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," the guard replied.

Legolas' doubt of his own abilities increased. Absently rubbing his aching temples, he protested. "My Lord, I could be wrong."

Raising an eyebrow at the admission and the unsettling doubt in the prince's voice, Elrond rested a reassuring hand on the prince's shoulder. "Even on your worst day, I trust your instincts. This is your home. If you say something is wrong, then it is," he said.

"But—" Legolas stammered.

Elrond silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Let us go back to camp. We will get you some tea for that headache of yours."

Nodding, Legolas did not protest. For once, Legolas was relieved to hear the offer of tea. He would take anything to get rid of the crazy bee that was building an entire hive in his head.

Shocked at the lack of resistance at the mention of his infamous tea, Elrond decided that a complete examination was indeed in order. He could not think of what could be causing the symptoms the prince was experiencing, but he was sure it was not good.

"Come. You of all people should not be out here alone." He admonished, stepping back and gesturing for the prince to proceed.

Not willing to argue anymore, Legolas walked carefully past Elrond. It would do no good to trip and fall in front of him, so he chose his path carefully. He could feel the Elf Lord's trained eyes on him, watching his every move. He was probably thinking of some horrible new concoction for him to drink.

Elrond decided that he needed to get the prince back to the safety of the palace and his father as soon as possible. Something was wrong and he had a feeling that things were going to get worse before they got better.

Legolas concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. The pounding in his head began to fade, as they got closer to the camp. Perhaps he was getting better. Occupied with his thoughts, he was taken by surprise for a third time in a single night as he was practically knocked over by Estel rushing down the path.

Grabbing Legolas' wrist, the man steadied the teetering elf. "What is wrong? Are you well?" he asked concerned. "When I woke up and found you gone, I thought the worst."

Legolas twisted his wrist free. "I am _fine_," he replied, with a little more irritation than he meant.

Seeing his father bringing up the rear, Estel calmed down. "Then why did you leave without saying anything?"

"Because I was _fine_," he repeated, emphasizing the _fine. _

Aggravated at the run around Legolas was giving him _again,_ Estel questioned his father. "Ada, what is going on?"

Resting a hand on one of each of the combatant's shoulders, Elrond steered them both back to camp. "Back. Now," he whispered, urgently nudging them forward. He did not feel it was safe in the forest anymore. "You can argue later about Legolas' definition of _fine_."

Returning to camp, they found everyone awake. Near the fire, two guards were carefully supporting a battered elf between them. He was one of the guards that they had sent to the Halls of Mirkwood just a few hours earlier.

The current situation forgotten, Elrond strode into the commotion. "What happened?" He demanded.

Attempting to stand at attention the guard drew from what strength he had left. "My Lord, we could not make it to the palace. The roads are blocked," he said.

"All the roads?" Elrond asked incredulously.

"Yes, my Lord."

Elrond frowned. "How? By what?"

"The spiders. There are hundreds of them blocking all routes to the palace," gasped the survivor. "The palace appears to be surrounded."

"And the others?" Elrond paused before continuing. "Where are they?"

Lowering his head, the warrior answered, "I am sorry. They did not make it." His voice broke. For an elf, it was better to die with honor defending others than to be the only one left alive.

His sense of urgency returned, Elrond formed a new plan of action. "Elladan, see to his needs quickly. We must leave," he commanded.

"Yes, Ada," Elladan said, grabbing a healing pouch and water from a nearby horse.

"Elrohir, you see to Estel and Legolas," Elrond ordered. "The rest of you break camp. We head to Rivendell." Before he had even finished his words, the camp was in motion.

Estel glanced up at Wilwarin. She was standing above them, watching the scene play out below. She looked as eager as they were to leave.

So, her Master's plan had begun Wilwarin thought. The only piece missing in the plan was standing right below her.

Legolas' saw none of the commotion in front of him. His eyes had stopped seeing after the horrible news of the warrior's deaths and the pending attack on his home. The news had hit him hard. Both warriors had families with young children, and now they were gone.

"Let us go collect our things." Estel said, nudging Legolas to come.

He walked over to gather their bedrolls, but found he was alone. Legolas still stood in place staring at the injured warrior.

Walking back, Estel gently reached out and shook him. "Mellon nin?'

Slowly cutting off his thoughts, Legolas returned to the physical world. He found Estel and Elrohir staring at him. The concern on their faces told him that they knew exactly what he was thinking. There was no hiding it from them.

"Come on. It is not your fault." Estel tried to reassure him, but he knew there would be no convincing the stubborn elf.

Clenching his fists, Legolas tried to contain his anger. "Yes, it is. They died because of me, Estel. He wants me, not anybody else. You know it as well as I do."

"I know, but we cannot bring them back and we cannot just turn you over to them or attack them ourselves," Estel tried to reason with him. "Their lives may have saved us from walking right into the attack and getting killed."

At the mention of the impending attack, Legolas' eyes widened. "Estel, my home! I cannot go to Rivendell and abandon my people," Legolas exclaimed. In a panic, he scoured the camp for an available horse.

Trying to stop the elf before he bolted, Estel caught his arm and held on. "No, Legolas, you cannot go home!"

"Let go!" he cried, twisting out of Estel's grasp. Spotting Elrohir's horse nearby, he sprinted over to her.

Left holding nothing but air, Estel raced after his friend. "No, stop!"

Elrohir joined the fray. He reached the horse before Estel and grabbed the reins out of Legolas' hand.

Ignoring the twin, Legolas vaulted up onto the horse, grabbing her mane to steer her away from Elrohir's hold.

"Let me go! I have to go home!" he exclaimed.

Elrohir held firm. He was lucky that Legolas had jumped on _his_ horse, so she listened to him.

Estel skidded to a halt right behind his brother. "Legolas! Stop! You will never get through"

Reaching down to steal the reins from Elrohir, Legolas pleaded, "I can find a way."

Clamping down onto Legolas' exposed arm, Estel held tight. "No, you cannot go! Listen! That is just what he wants you to do. He would catch you before you ever got to your father. What help would you be then? Your father would be made to choose between you or his people."

Legolas froze. Estel's words broke through his panic. The thought of being used as a weapon against his father horrified him. His panic faded as quickly as it came replaced by fear and dread. His voice softened. "You are right. I can be of no help to my father or my people."

Still not sure Legolas was convinced, Estel kept a firm grip on his arm. "Our only chance is to get to Rivendell and bring back my father's warriors."

The realization hit Legolas hard. He was trapped between two horrible choices, the price being either his friends or his family. He could not live with either one. Overwhelmed, his heart ached. The outcome was not going to be good. Either way, someone was going to get hurt.

Seeing the change come over his friend as he accepted the truth, Estel released his grip. "Come down. Ada will be ready to leave and he will not be happy if you run off by yourself," he said.

Sliding off the horse, Legolas felt drained. "Why is he doing this?"

"It is nothing personal, Legolas. You are just a means to an end. If he was in Rivendell, he would be trying to catch my brothers," Estel explained.

Elrohir finally spoke up. "What do you mean, when you say '_he'? _Who is 'he'_?_" He asked curious.

The warrior's wounds treated, Elladan rejoined the group, unaware of the conversation. "He will live," he said, referring to the injured warrior. "He is lucky to have made it."

Ignoring his twin, Elrohir asked again. "Who is _he_?"

Annoyed, both Estel and Legolas replied in unison. "A spider."

Estel added quietly. "A very big spider."

"A spider? Are you trying to say that a spider is behind the attacks? How would a spider know to plan something as big as this? You two are speaking nonsense. They are not smart enough for that!" the twin scoffed.

A distinctively angry clicking sound came from the tree above. Elladan nudged his twin and pointed up discreetly at the spider above them.

Wilarwin stood on the branch above. Anger poured from _all_ of her dark eyes. Elrohir got the message.

"I beg your pardon." Elrohir apologized giving an exaggerated bow.

"Did I just say sorry to a spider?" He muttered as she sank back down onto the branch.

"Yes, brother, you did." Elladan smiled. "And I witnessed it."

Before another word was said, Elrond rode up next to them bringing a spare horse with him. "Estel, ride with Legolas." He said, handing the reins over to Estel.

"Thank you." Estel said, taking the reins and mounting.

"Keep them between you two." Elrond instructed the twins.

Guiding his horse over to his friend, Estel offered his hand. The elf accepted and stiffly mounted in front of him, his mind obviously elsewhere. Estel could not blame him.

Following behind, Wilwarin sensed a change in the elves. They had a sense of urgency now. They were right to run. Only the two she had saved knew what they were really up against.

Elrond felt time was important. He chose to veer off the well-worn roads, taking the shortest path to Rivendell. This path was short, but not always safe. He wasn't sure how long the wood-elves could hold off the advancing spiders, so he felt urgency was more important. Dawn was almost upon them and the danger from orcs would have passed.

The forest appeared very dark and ominous around them. Long, leafless branches hung to the ground, creating an eerie backdrop as they rode. The elves moved quietly through the trees. The only sounds were the horses' hooves hitting the bare ground.

The woods put all of them on edge, and the further they went, the worse it became. It was as if the trees were no longer on their side. It was an unsettling feeling. The elves were wary and kept an eye out for anything that moved. Elrond knew that the woods were evil—they all did—but they did not know just how evil they could be.

Jarred from his thoughts, Legolas could feel the change in his surroundings. The forest was no longer closed off to him. Instead, emotion poured from the trees, but it was not the good kind, it was hate, just pure hate. Now instead of seeking them out, he wanted to break off all connection with them.

These trees did not remember life with elves. They only knew orcs, wargs, and spiders. The kindness of elves had been forgotten. The trees, like the creatures that lived here, hated elves.

The motion from the horse aggravated Legolas' headache. He had never received the tea that Elrond had promised. Normally, he would have been happy to escape it, but now he wished he had not. The buzzing in his head seemed to be getting worse. It was beginning to overwhelm him. Legolas took a deep breath and tried to clear his head, but it did not work. His eyes were closed and he did not even remember closing them. A tiny sliver of panic raced up his spine, but he pushed it back down. He forced his eyes back open. Stopping was not an option, he thought.

The day was upon them and the danger from orcs had passed. They had been riding for hours, and the sun finally broke through the trees. Its rays took the edge off their surroundings. Fallen limbs and dead brush littered the path, making them slow to a walk. However, there was a clearing ahead that would give them an opportunity to regroup. Even through the path was old and overgrown, they made better progress than they would have on the other roads. However, it would still be a day, at least, until they would be free of Mirkwood.

Elrond's thoughts focused on the King while he rode. He hoped that Thranduil would be able to hold off the spiders until they brought back help. Thinking of the King reminded him of the prince that he had been trusted to protect. Glancing back to check on him, he took a double take. The rays from the sun struck Legolas' golden hair, making him stand out among the group like a beacon. It would not be difficult for anybody to single him out from the rest.

"I'll be right back," Elrond said to the guard after they entered the clearing. He guided his horse over to the side to wait for his sons. While he waited, his attention drifted from Legolas' blonde hair to his demeanor. It was not normal. He did not ride relaxed as he usually did. His body was tense, his face still pale and his eyes closed. Frowning, Elrond realized that the injuries from yesterday should be healing by now. As they drew closer, his concern grew.

The twins spotted their father waiting for them at the edge of the clearing. They steered their mounts over to him. Estel followed behind them.

"Elladan, find cloaks to cover them with and have everyone else put one on." Elrond said, never taking his eyes off the prince.

"We have spares that we can give them." Elladan replied, digging into his pack.

Moving his horse over to Estel's, Elrond took a closer look at the prince. "How long has he been like this?" He asked.

"Like what?" Worried, Estel gently shook Legolas. "Legolas?" he said, placing his fingers against his neck to check his pulse. It was racing and his skin was clammy.

Legolas never heard him. He had lost the battle against the trees some time ago. He did not want to make them stop, so he had retreated into his mind. He was neither asleep nor awake. His only focus was maintaining the small barrier he had built to block out the emotional barrage coming from the trees.

Withdrawing his fingers, Estel said. "Something is wrong. He looks asleep, but he is not."

Dismounting, Elrond signaled to the group to stop. "Put up a perimeter guard," he ordered.

The twins quickly followed suit and helped pull Legolas from the horse. They laid him gently down on the hard ground.

Elladan folded his spare cloak under the prince's head. "When did he fall asleep?" He asked.

Kneeling next to his brother, Elohir suggested. "Maybe he is hiding an old injury."

"I do not know. He has not said anything since we left." Estel answered unwrapping the bandage on Legolas' leg to check for infection.

Elrond checked for hidden wounds, but found nothing. Nevertheless, his patient was unresponsive, but like Estel had pointed out, _not_ unconscious. He stopped and thought. His mind went back to his conversation with Legolas in the woods earlier. "The headache." He whispered deep in thought.

"What is it?" Estel asked, touching his father's arm to get his attention.

Glancing around at the trees above, Elrond replayed the entire scene back in his head. He kept coming back to the headache. A headache so bad that the stubborn warrior had actually admitted to it. He had missed something earlier, but it wasn't the prince. It was his surroundings. "There is evil at work here," he announced.

Tying off the new bandage, Estel asked, "What do you mean? Something is doing this to him?"

"Yes," Elrond said, resting his hand on Legolas' clammy forehead. "I think Legolas is being held captive in his own body."

"Can you help him?" Estel asked.

"Yes," he said. Closing his eyes, Elrond probed the prince's mind. A powerful sense of malevolence struck him. How he had not felt it before surprised him. It was so strong that Elrond had to strengthen his own mental barriers before proceeding.

Estel watched Legolas' face for any reaction. "How did I miss this?" He asked to no one in particular.

"Estel, it is not your fault. Legolas hides everything. He would not have told you that anything was wrong." Elladan said trying to reassure his brother.

"Ada, will help him. He will be fine," Elrohir encouraged him.

They fell silent as they watched and waited for any improvement in their friend. The minutes ticked by slowly as the battle raged on inside Legolas' mind.

Feeling as if he was drowning, Legolas had retreated into the furthest corners of his mind. Suddenly, a bright light appeared in his mind, banishing the darkness, leaving him gasping for air.

Releasing his hold, Elrond opened his eyes. "Legolas, you are free. Wake up."

Disoriented, Legolas opened his eyes. He gulped fresh air as if it was the first he had in years. He tried to sit up, but was held down by a firm hand.

Elrond kept him still. "Wait until you have rested. You are safe."

Nodding, Legolas relaxed. Suddenly, he was overcome by a strong sense of danger. With the buzzing in his head gone, he could reach out and find the source. He did not like what he found. He panicked and sat up, burying his face in his hands.

"Legolas, rest. Do not push yourself too soon," Estel said, echoing his father's instructions.

Elrond placed a comforting arm around the younger elf's shoulders. He felt him tense under his touch. "It is ok. You are safe now," he said again, trying to reassure him.

"No, I am not," Legolas said, his voice breaking.

"Why? What do you sense?" Estel frowned.

Legolas did not answer. How could this be happening? He thought. He was too tired to even mount a horse, let alone fight a battle.

Signaling to his warriors to be alert, Elrond asked again. "What is it?"

"It's too late." Legolas whispered to himself. His heart pounded in his ears. He looked up into Estel's face and confirmed their worst fears. "He is here," he whispered.


	10. And the Blind Will See

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or as an author so please forgive the mistakes that I have made.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

Rating: T

And the Blind Will See

Chapter 10

Estel saw the dread in Legolas' eyes. It was mirrored in his own. They were right back where they started from.

Elrond stood and survey the forest around them. Legolas' words sunk in. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Pushing back the oppressive darkness radiating from the trees, Elrond reached out with his own mind. He found exactly what Legolas had felt all along, the presence of evil. It was everywhere. The trees had clouded their minds allowing the spiders to close in on them. Now, it was too late. They were surrounded. He regretfully realized that Legolas had been right all along.

Like a fog lifting, the darkness receded allowing all of them to see what was really there. High in the trees all around them flickered hundreds of eager eyes. The warriors did not need Elrond's senses to tell them that they were surrounded and outnumbered. Drawing their arrows they waited. Their horses anxiously pawed the ground fighting the urge to run.

Legolas' injuries forgotten, they mounted their horses and prepared to face the spiders. Elrond noticed with regret that Legolas stood out among the elves. There was no hiding him now. They could clearly pick out the prince among them. There was nothing to do, but wait. They could neither go back nor forward.

Hundreds of spiders surrounded them, but none approach any closer than necessary to keep them from escaping. Still as statures, they sat posed to pounce upon command. Some even hung from webs over their heads as if frozen in place.

Finally, a disembodied voice broke the silence. "Good morning, I see you have brought back my prisoner." He said, his words dripping with satisfaction.

Not surprised, Elrond slowly turned to face the newcomer. "He does not belong to you. So, I cannot return him." Descending from above appeared an enormous black spider. It was at least three times the size of a normal Mirkwood spider. Elrond hid his shock at the size of the creature. Leave it up to these two to find the biggest spider in all of Mirkwood and tick him off, he thought.

The monstrous spider descended closer to its prey. "Nevertheless, he is mine and I will have him back. Even, if I have to kill all of you to get him. It matters not to me," he said.

Glaring at the creature, Elrond did not give in. "I guess we have a problem then."

Watching the exchange between Elrond and the spider, Legolas could feel hundreds of greedy eyes staring at him. This group was eager to please. They each wanted to be the one to wrap him up and deliver him to their leader like a big fat present. He didn't think that there was any way out of this mess. They would not survive a fight against this many spiders and there was no place to run. They would all die unless he turned himself over to them. Despair returned at the thought of being right back where he started. All that running and fighting for what?

"But you see, _My Dear Lord,_ my soldiers, outnumber yours. Which means, I can simply wait until you run out of arrows and warriors?" Pausing, he glanced up at his horde. "True, I will lose a few spiders, but I have plenty to spare. Eventually, I will get to the dear prince and there is nothing that you or your gallant warriors can do about it." Finally, touching the ground the spider continued. "Your only choice, Your Highness, is to turn him over to me and hope that I let you live or you can fight and die," he concluded.

Elrond knew this to be true their choices were few, fight and die or give up the prince and hope to come back and get him. His heart sunk at the choice he was forced to make, but he knew no other way. All of their lives hung in the balance. "You will lose more than a few, I am afraid. My warriors are highly skilled and they would kill hundreds of your soldiers before you could get to him," he stalled.

"That is true, but you elves, you value your lives. We do not. These spiders are nothing to me. They are, but a means to an end. Even the traitor in your midst, does not concern me." He added, referring to Wilwarin. "You may take her with you, I care not." He said, trying to sweeten the deal. "Leave me the prince and you and your elves go free."

Knowing that he would not get a better offer, Elrond tested the water. "How can I trust that you will let the rest of my warriors go free? You could just attack after you get the prince? I cannot trust the word of a _spider_," he said.

The spider exploded with anger. "My word, you can't trust my word? Ask the prince, if I did not keep my bargain with him. I kept my word to him, but he violated my trust and escaped. It was he, who was not trust worthy, Your Highness, not me!" He exclaimed, remembering the recent betrayal.

"That is not true. An elf always keeps his word. You lie. I can't take your word over his." Elrond argued.

Pointing a long sharp claw at the elf Lord, he said "Ask your _precious_ prince. If he is indeed honorable he will admit to it. He gave his word to accompany me in exchange for that human's life."

Elrond took a deep breath. That sounded exactly like the prince he knew always putting Estel first. But now, he had only one choice to save them, leave the prince behind. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. He would have to convince the spider that the prince meant nothing to him now. Turning to face the prince, he regretfully began his act. "Is this true, prince?" He snapped, throwing Legolas off guard. "You broke your word?"

"I.., Yes. He did keep his part of the bargain." He stammered, surprised by Elrond's angry tone.

Moving closer to the prince, Elrond continued. "The word of an elf is highly regarded. You did not honor your agreement with him?" He purposely led the conversation, his words saying one thing, but his eyes trying to say another.

"But Ada, he had no choice." Estel said, defending his friend's honor.

"Silence! I did not ask you!" Elrond replied. He could not have Estel interfering.

"Yes, My Lord." Estel said, shocked at his father's anger.

Finally picking up on Elrond's lead, Legolas followed along. "No, I did not." He answered, hanging his head in false shame.

"You have dishonored your name. I will not risk my people for you." Elrond said, the words leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

Sliding from the horse, the prince played along. "I will honor my word now, take Estel and go" He said, hoping the spider could be fooled.

In horror, Estel watched as his best friend sacrificed himself. "Legolas, NO!" He cried.

"So be it." Elrond said, turning his back on the prince.

Legolas turned to face his friend. "No, Estel I must. I broke my word. I need to fix it." He said trying to get his message across. "It is the only way," he pleaded.

Estel stared at his friend. He could not bear the thought of leaving him here in the clutches of the spider again!

"Estel, it is the only way." Legolas repeated, afraid that Estel would try and stop him or worse yet tag along. "Go home with your family."

Estel knew it was the only was the only way. He realized that they were acting for the spider's benefit. He regrettable relented. "Go," he said.

He was relieved that Estel did not put up a fight. If the plan did not work then his kingdom and his own father would be doomed. He was trading one family's safety for another's, but he did not know what else to do.

Estel knew there was no other way to get his family out of this mess alive. The spider needed Legolas alive, so he would be safe for a while. They would have time to come back and save him.

Without another word, Legolas approached the spider. He began, "Let them go this is not their battle. They do not even live here. I will go with you…," he said.

The spider let out a horrendous laugh that echoed throughout the forest. "Those words sound very familiar to me, _princeling_. Where have I heard them before?" he mocked.

Cringing as he made a slight bow to the creature, Legolas tried again, "I am sorry for my mistake. Please let me correct my error and stand by my word. It was useless for me to resist. Your army is impossible to escape. You are a strong and powerful leader and I have underestimated your abilities. I will no longer stand in your way. I concede defeat."

Legolas ended kneeling on the ground before the great spider. He needed to be convincing even if it went against everything he believed in. He could not stand by and watch his friends die.

Estel heart was about to burst as he watched Legolas offer himself up to the spider. He wanted nothing more than run up and stop him. His brothers worried that they would lose Estel too so they pushed their mounts in closer to prevent him from escaping. Tearing his eyes from Legolas' kneeling form, he found his father watching him intently. Elrond's head shook in a silent _no_ warning him not to interfere.

"Why should I believe you this time?" He growled.

Not moving from his spot, Legolas tried again. "Please let me make it up to you. I will come freely with you now." Without rising, he slowly removed all his weapons and carefully laid them on the ground. He was getting desperate to win the spider over.

Shaking his head, he laughed. "I can take you by force, prince. Offer me something..., I cannot take," he asked greedily. His interest piqued.

Clenching his fist at his sides, Legolas continued with the words, he loathed to say. "I will aid you in your ascent to the throne. You cannot take my cooperation, but I can give it to you freely. Spare my people and I will help you win. My father does not know your strength. I do. I can convenience him to surrender," he said.

The words were just enough to push the spider over the edge. "Yes," he said gleefully. He scurried over to stand in front of the kneeling elf.

Everyone held their breath as the spider approach Legolas. The warriors poised to act on Elrond's signal.

Legolas locked every muscle in place resisting the urge to grab his weapons and slit its throat. Such an action would mean certain death to them all. He saw its clawed feet enter into his view, but he kept his gaze focused on the ground in front of him.

Placing one foot beneath the prince's chin, the spider forced his head up, "Say it again, prince. Swear to me your obedience on the lives of your friends here." He ordered his voice full of anticipation.

The words make Legolas feel sick to his stomach. "I swear it." He said, forcing himself to look the spider in the eye.

"Swear it on what? Prince," he asked greedily.

Taking a deep breath, he repeated. "I swear it on my family and friends."

The forest had fallen completely silent as everyone watched the act play out in front of them. Estel held his breath afraid that the spider would see though their plans and strike him dead.

Angry, the spider raised a sharp claw to the prince's throat slicing a thin line crossed his exposed neck, "Swear on their LIVES! Prince, on their lives!" he screamed.

Estel lunged forward trying to break through his brother's hold. "No!" he cried.

The twins held him tight keeping him on his horse. "Stop, Estel" Elladan whispered.

In his mind, Estel saw Legolas fall to the ground bleed profusely. He was dying right before his eyes. "NO!" he screamed again.

"No, look he is fine, Estel. Legolas is fine." Elladan said, trying to calm his younger brother.

Estel cleared the vision from his mind and saw what his brother said was true. Legolas still kneeled before the spider, but with a trickle of blood running down his pale neck into his collar.

"See? He is fine." He repeated.

Estel could only nod his head. The vision had seemed so real.

Feeling the warm blood spill down his chest, Legolas obeyed. "I swear my allegiance to you on my family and friend's lives, if you let all of these elves go free," he said.

The spider did not speak it just stared at the prince deep in thought. He needed the prince to get to the king without him his plan would never work. The prince was the king's only weakness. These elves meant nothing to him, he wanted to rule this forest not theirs. Having the prince's aid in his conquest would make him unstoppable. The more he thought, the more his greed took over.

Elrond desperate to keep things from going the wrong way stepped in, "Do we have an agreement?" He said, trying to get the spiders attention.

Turning his gaze on the Elf Lord suspiciously, he asked. "Why are you so eager to leave this one now? The human seems to be concerned for this one's well being and yet you are not?"

Without missing a beat, Elrond answered, "He has dishonored his people and mine. He is not important in my eyes any longer. My son's feelings do not concern me."

"That is all?" he asked, even more suspicious.

The group held their breath, afraid that the spider had suddenly seen through their charade.

"The prince is not my son. I have my son back." He said, gesturing to the human. "And, as you have said, we value life more than you do. I am preserving the lives of twenty elves compared to the life of just one. Since you are not planning on killing him, I do not see any reason to get involved," he rationalized. "My people are my main concern."

The spider seemed to accept Elrond's reasoning, "Then, we will part ways. My army will escort you to your lands."

"Good, then we have an agreement, I will turn the prince over to you and you will allow us free passage home."

"Agreed," he answered. "You are of no importance to me. Go, my soldiers will escort you to the borders of my land."

Legolas reached to retrieve his weapons.

Catching the movement, the spider stopped him. "Leave them! He said, with a smile. "You will no longer need them."

Legolas took a long look at his precious weapons lying on the ground. He felt naked without them.

Estel's body moved on its own making an attempt to dismount, his brothers both grabbed his arms holding him in place. "No!" They said in unison.

"But, his weapons." He said wanting to keep them for his friend.

'No leave them. We must not help him," Elrohir said.

Listening to his brothers reasoning, he settled back in his saddle. He was stricken with guilt at what they were about to do. He felt things getting out of control. A terrible feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach.

Without any further hesitation, Elrond motioned for the group to leave. With the spider's army cut in half, at least they stood a chance of defeating them and returning with reinforcements to rescue the prince.

The group slowly moved off towards Rivendell surrounded on all sides by spiders. Estel forced himself to take his eyes off Legolas' slowly shrinking form.

Wilwarin got up to follow the group of elves and then stopped. She looked back at the elf. She did not want to leave him behind either. She felt that he was important. Somewhere in her memories she knew why, but right now she could not figure it out. She could not save him and she could not stay. She had no choice. Self-preservation won out and she slipped into the forest.

Alone with the spider, Legolas felt defeated. He had saved the lives of his friends, but now, he had put his kingdom in danger. He knew that they would not desert him and that reinforcements were needed, but it did not make him feel any better. Legolas was shaken from his thoughts as several spiders approached and surrounded him.

"Come now, prince. Do not worry about your friends, my spiders will make it painless." He smirked, watching the prince closely for any reaction.

Legolas' head snapped up. His heart pounded at the shock of what he thought he just heard him say. "What? What do you mean painless? What will be painless?" He demanded, glaring at the spider.

"Why, my dear prince. We are even now. You did not keep your bargain before and now I will not keep mine." Leaning in closer to the elf, he explained, annunciating slowly, "My army will kill them as they near the Rivendell borders. Do not worry they will not suffer…much."

"No, you agreed, you cannot kill them!" He cried. Legolas stared back in disbelief. He had made the wrong choice and now his friends would die!

"I cannot have them coming back to interfere with my plans. You have delayed us long enough," he said.

Still kneeling, Legolas had no time to respond as the group of spiders closed in. He tried to fight them off, but he was pinned underneath several bodies that pushed him to the ground. He felt suffocated under the heavy weight. Panic raced through his body at the thought of being crushed to death by the spiders. But his panic faded quickly as it only took a few minutes for the spiders to successfully jab their stingers into his flesh. The familiar poison made its way through his body. As his consciousness faded, he heard the spider's final order. "Kill them all."

Fear was the last thing he felt as he surrendered to the poison. It engulfed his entire being like the final wave before you are sucked into a cold, dark abyss.


	11. Old Friends and New Enemies

Chapter 11 (81./4.)

Summary; Does enough light still shine into the darkness of the Mirkwood forest to save Legolas and Estel or is all hope lost? A simple journey from Mirkwood to Rivendell starts out well but can it stay that way when a certain elf and ranger travel together?

Disclaimer; I do not own anything Tolkien and no one in their right mind would ever pay me for this. I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or as an author so please forgive the mistakes that I have made.

Rating: K+ Author note; I am so sorry for the long delay and I would like to thank everyone for prompting me to continue. My son has been ill for the last year and I have spent all my spare time on helping him. The smile has returned to his face as he now is on the road to recovery.

Second note: I don't own either Celylith or Wilwarin, they are used with permission from Nili. Thank you Nili! I also claim no expertise in the Tolkien world or absolutely any expertise as an author so forgive any mistakes that I make.

Old Friends and New Enemies

The creatures of the forest became silent as the travelers drew near. The sound of spiders scurrying over the tree limbs resonated throughout the forest warning of their approach. Every living thing big and small recoiled from their path. They sought out every hiding place they could find and squeezed in.

The elves too were on edge, their hands ready to seize their bows in an instant should the need arise. It was eerie to be in the shadow of so many spiders. The impulse to shoot them down was strong, but they knew they wouldn't succeed. The only one in the group not spooked by the spider's presence was Estel. He wasn't paying them any attention instead his mind was on the friend he left behind. He got more anxious the closer they got to home. Every step took them farther away from Legolas. The hours stretched by slowly and he found it agonizingly difficult to sit quietly on his horse and wait. He could feel his brothers' watching him as if he was going to do something crazy like run back and try to save the prince.

At this point, Elrond had pushed any thoughts of the prince to the back of his mind. He watched the spiders closely. He didn't trust their leader and suspected a double cross. Dropping back to ride next to his sons he whispered, "We will take a stand at the river."

A slight nod was the only acknowledgement he got from his sons. They had come to the same conclusion. The patrols would be near the river this time of day and any battle would be heard.

The elves sat around their cozy campfire eating a light meal and talking quietly among themselves. The night air was warm and the forest comforting. Their patrol had been uneventful so far and they were preparing to return to the palace. As they relaxed, the Mirkwood Captain felt a stirring among the trees. Cautiously, he lowered his spoon to his bowl. Searching the forest, he found nothing out of place. But something was wrong or was it? He did not feel danger, but yet he felt something.

Unsatisfied, Talon finally stood straining to peer past the dense foliage to get a better look. No warning came from the trees, but he knew they weren't alone anymore. Alerted, his companions now stood behind him their hands on their weapons waiting for anything to move. They neither saw nor heard anything. The forest was quiet, but they knew better than to trust the woods. In their homeland a quiet forest was never good.

Watching silently in the tree above, Wilwarin saw the elves stand and look her direction. She was unsure how to proceed at this point. Silently, she readjusting the package that was tucked underneath one of her many arms. She then slowly descended the tree that so far hid her from view.

The minuscule sound of her feet touching the bark, alerted the warriors and they drew their weapons in anticipation. To their surprise, a lone spider peaked out from behind a nearby tree. It took a few steps and stopped. It made no attempted to attack them. It just stood there waiting.

Normally, they would shoot first and ask questions later when it came to spiders, but this time was different. It became a standoff as the elves stared at the spider and it stared back at them neither one making a move.

"Why does it just sit there?" The Captain finally asked puzzled at the spider's behavior. He hesitated to give the order to fire. How did this evil creature get so close to them without any warning? Why did the trees not warn them? In fact, the trees were not concerned at all. Instead, they seemed to be encouraging, but encouraging who?

"Maybe it is injured?" One of the warriors suggested looking for any signs of injury on the creature.

"Oh no, do not say that or Celylith here will be stuffing it into his pockets!" The third warrior joked poking at the elf next to him.

Defending himself, Celylith gave the older elf a slight push. "Hey, it was just a baby! It needed my help."

"Why is it alone?" The captain continued ignoring the childish antics of his seasoned warriors.

Bringing their attention back to the situation at hand, the elves surveyed the area. "Maybe it is a trap," the warrior said.

Talon shook his head. "No, the trees, the trees are not afraid."

Thinking the time was right, Wilwarin gradually pulled out one of the items from the bundle that she so carefully carried laid it on the ground at her feet then slowly back away.

The elves cautiously approached keeping their weapons trained on her as they tried to identify the object. As they got closer they immediately recognized it.

Forgetting all caution, Celylith rushed to pick it up. "It's one of Legolas' arrows!"

The arrow was made with the royal green fletching used for the prince. It was pristine and sharp as Legolas' arrows always were. It was either unused or had missed its target. Perplexed, they turned their attention back to the spider. Incredulously, they watched as it placed a second arrow upon the ground and backed up again.

"Look!" Talon said noticing for the first time the bundle that she carried. "She has his quiver."

Celylith held his breath as he followed where Talon directed and saw Legolas' quiver was tucked underneath one of the spider's hairy legs.

"How would she get his quiver?" Reinen mumbled.

"Legolas would never give up his weapons unless…," Celylith voice trailed off the possibilities leaving him speechless.

Baffled, Talon watched as the spider put down another arrow and backed up. He had never seen a spider behave in such a manner. "Why does it keep doing that?"

"It is as if it wants us to follow it," Reinen suggested. "But why would it want us to do that?"

"What do you mean why? How can it do that?" Talon answered skeptically. "It is just a spider."

"Just a spider!" Celylith turned to his friends. "They are not stupid. They are intelligent creatures corrupted by evil. Why…," He stopped speaking in mid sentence his bow dropping to the ground at his feet.

"What's wrong?" Talon asked concerned by Celylith's reaction.

"It can't be…," he whispered, looking back at the spider. Stepping over his now forgotten bow, he slowly moved in closer to get a better look.

"Celylith, stop!" The Captain yelled grabbing Celylith's arm and pulling him back.

"What are you doing?" He questioned, not letting go of Celylith. "We do not know what it wants."

"It is harmless", Celylith insisted pulling away from his captain. "The trees they speak of no threat. They know that it does not intend to harm us."

Unsure, the Captain trailed after him. "Wait! You can't be sure. What if it got the arrows by harming Legolas or worse?"

"No, I am sure it will not harm us or the prince. I believe I know this spider."

"Leave it to Celylith to actually know _every_ creature in the forest," Reinen commented as he followed his captain.

Celylith rolled his eyes. "This is Wilwarin."

"What? Reinen said in disbelief. "That baby spider that you carried around a few years ago? It can't be!"

'Yes, that baby spider that I carried around," Celylith replied.

He stopped a few feet from the spider and kneeled down to get a closer look. She looked exactly the same as he remembered.

"Wilwarin?" he coaxed.

Wilwarin took tentative steps towards the elf. His voice and scent was familiar to her. More than the first elf was. His presence was somehow comforting and she felt safe with him. She hesitated, when her movement was mirrored by five sharp arrows pointed at her head.

"Guys, come on," Celylith said waving at his friends. "Put those down."

Watching Celylith interact with the spider Talon still wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said meeting his captain's eyes. "Trust me."

"Wilwarin," he said, grinning like an elfling. He had always wondered what had happened to her. He was glad to see his long lost friend. Celylith was transfixed by the spider and carefully reach out to pet her.

The spider stopped and let him scratch the top of her head. She almost purred at the familiar touch of her long lost master.

"While you are talking to it, why don't you ask it where Legolas is?" Talon suggested sarcastically.

"I will," He replied smugly. "Where is Legolas?"

As if remembering her purpose, Wilwarin scurried a few feet back into the forest. She stopped and dropped another arrow for them.

Celylith followed and picked up the discarded arrow. "Where is Legolas?" He asked again concern building over his close friend and prince.

The spider repeated the same action as before.

Celylith hesitated to ask the next question. "Is he in danger?"

Wilwarin vigorously bounced up and down.

"She understands us…, but that is impossible." The Captain said, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Can you take me to the prince?"

Wilwarin dropped the rest of the arrows and ran farther into the woods. She then stopped and waiting for them to follow.

"Break camp," the Captain ordered. "Send word to the other patrols and have them send any warriors they can spare."

Celylith stayed with Wilwarin as the others broke camp. He stared at the spider in amazement. She had grown quite big over the years. He chuckled at the thought of her fitting in his traveling bag now. He had saved her from death years ago as a baby and kept her in his bag hidden from Legolas and Estel, but they soon discovered his new pet and eventually made him release her or incur the wrath of the King. He actually hid her in a cave deep in the forest and he returned many times to visit her. One day, he went to see her and she was gone. He returned several times after that, but the cave remained empty. He never forgot her and never did anyone else. He was teased endlessly by the prince and the twins. Even Estel could not resist throwing a jab or two his way. Now, he could hardly believe his eyes. She was here and she remembered him.

Lost in thought Celylith didn't hear his friend approach. "Here you might need this," Reinen said, returning the discarded bow to its owner.

"Thank you," he mumbled, automatically placing it over his shoulder.

"Celylith," he said, poking his friend's arm gently and handing him Legolas' quiver. "I think you should hold on to these as well."

Celylith stared at his friend's weapons remembering how much Legolas loved them. As happy as he was to see Wilarwin, he was more concerned for his friend's safety. The prince was his close friend and he couldn't bear to think that something bad had happened to him.

Placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder he said, "Come on let's go find Legolas."

Their mission was no longer light hearted as before, now they proceeded with all haste to save the prince.

As if understanding their words, Wilwarin immediately headed into the forest.

The ground was scattered with the bodies of dead spiders. The Rivendell Warriors had indeed heard the cries of battle and come to the rescue. With their numbers tripled and the element of surprise on their side they were victorious over the spiders. Very few of the elves had been injured. Elrond quickly explained the situation to the new arrivals. Only taking the time to retrieve their spent arrows and refresh their mounts at the river they began the journey back to Mirkwood. Days had passed and they had no idea what they would find when they got back.

Estel quickly made his way to his father's side. "Any ideas of how are we going to get Legolas out of this one?" he asked, curious about his father's plans.

"I do not have a plan as of yet, my son. I cannot see us being able to defeat the rest of the spiders even with our new ranks, but I do not plan on abandoning him."

"We need to reach the palace and alert the king."

"I think that will be easier said than done. They are probably already there."

Remembering their first experience, Estel said, "It is going to be hard to free him. There will be guards night and day."

The twins caught up to their father and brother to get in on the planning. "How exactly did you escape before?" Elrohir asked.

"Without Wilwarin's help we never would have. She cut us from the cocoons and led us out." He said. "Now, I realize that she recognized us.

Glancing around, Estel looked for the spider in question. "Speaking of Wilwarin, where is she?"

"I don't know brother, I have not seen her since we left Legolas," said Elladan.

Estel twisted around and searched the nearby trees. "Was she here during the battle?"

"No, she has not been with us since we left. I believe she stayed with Legolas," Elrond said.

"Do you think she remember him as Celylith's friend," Elrohir wondered aloud.

"Yes, but why would she help him? Legolas wasn't exactly nice to her," Said Elladan, remembering the good times they had with a grin on his face.

"Maybe she confused him with Celylith."

Elladan said incredulously, "With all those eyes, how could she?"

With new found hope, Estel tried to reassure himself. "Well, I do not care what the reason is. I just hope that she has been able to free him again."

The idea that Wilwarin may have saved his friend gave him some peace of mind. Maybe something went right for a change and Legolas was already safe.

The conversation died after that. No one really believed that Legolas was already free, but they did not want to discourage Estel.

The first thing Legolas became aware of was the swaying motion of being carried. His stomach was not very happy with the situation. The poison kept him immobile and at the mercy of the spiders. He knew one thing, he had been giving just way too much spider venom for his own good. He pried his eyes open to see where they were. He instantly regretted it, if the pounding headache wasn't enough to cause him pain, the view that he saw was enough to make him sick. He was wrapped up and tucked up tight underneath the arms of a spider as it scurried through the forest trees. They were traveling at a fast rate of speed. They were in a hurry to get to where they were going. All the motion aggravated his stomach. He had to concentrate to keep from vomiting. His eyes eventually closed against his will. Sleep claimed him again.

When he woke for a second time, he was hanging from a tree branch suspended in a spider cocoon. He felt like he had lost days, his body was exhausted and immensely thirsty. Not trying to look awake, he slowly peered around. He immediately recognized his surroundings. They were in a nearby glen only a few miles from his home. The spiders were busy turning the glen into an impenetrable fortress. Legolas had to push down the panic as it threatened to drown him. He felt helpless and useless in what was about to play out in front of him. It was all his fault! It was too late to do anything. Now his father would be thrust into the nightmare of choosing between his kingdom and his son.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed my story. I am working on improving my writing so please bear with me. I am trying to do more showing instead of telling next chapter.

A special thanks goes out to Legolas Thranduilion! I appreciate your kind words they have helped me regain my motivation.

Note: If you would like to read about how Celylith and Wilwarin first meet please go to Nili's fanfic page and read _An Eye for an Eye_. But, I recommend that you read them all! Nili's is one of my favorite authors.


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